Posted on 09/19/2007 9:21:23 AM PDT by mojito
A powerful bomb killed a pro-government Parliament member and six others Wednesday in a Christian suburb east of the Lebanese capital, security officials said.
The blast targeted Antoine Ghanem, 64, a member of the right-wing Christian Phalange Party, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
The Voice of Lebanon radio station, which is owned by the Phalange party, also confirmed Ghanem's death. The identities of the others killed were not immediately known.
The attack occurred six days before Parliament was scheduled to meet to elect a new president in a deeply divisive vote. Ghanem is the eighth prominent anti-Syrian figure assassinated since 2005, including three lawmakers from the majority, reducing the ruling party's margin in Parliament.
A local television station, LBC, said 20 people were wounded in the blast, which occurred in the Sin el-Fil district. TV footage showed severe damage in nearby buildings and several cars on fire. The explosion sent a cloud of gray smoke over the area, and blood covered several parts of the street.
The assassination of anti-Syrian figures began with former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive car bombing that year. Syria's opponents in Lebanon have accused Damascus of being behind the killings, a claim Syria denies.
Hariri's death sparked massive protests that helped bring an end to Syria's nearly 30-year domination of Lebanon. Damascus was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in 2005, and a government led by anti-Syrian politicians was elected.
Since then, the government of US-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has been locked in a power struggle with the opposition, led by Syria's ally Hizbullah. Government supporters have accused Syria of seeking to end Saniora's slim majority in parliament by killing off lawmakers in his coalition.
After the assassination of Lebanese Parliament member Walid Eido in June, many majority legislators had to leave the country to spend the summer abroad for security reasons. Others who stayed in Lebanon took extra security.
A landmark hotel near the Parliament building in downtown Beirut has reportedly been rented for majority members to protect them during the 60-day presidential election process, which begins Tuesday.
Impotent Al-Assad has to blow people up with car bombs to flex his muscles.
Too bad he doesn’t have the stones to retaliate against Israel. I would love to see him get his share of virgins in paradise.
No wonder he is rolled routinely.
“A landmark hotel near the Parliament building in downtown Beirut has reportedly been rented for majority members to protect them during the 60-day presidential election process, which begins Tuesday.”
Do you think he’ll be in this hotel when it comes tumbling down upon them? I don’t.
Outlaw and destroy Hizbullah in Lebanon...and if given safe haven in Syria, then there, too.
thanks for the “Meanwhile...”
but sadly , most of the country gets “this > Meanwhile...”
OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ Britney OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ TaserGuy OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ { sports } OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ TaserGuy OJ OJ OJ OJ OJ Britney OJ OJ OJ OJOJBritneyTaserGuyOJOJOJOJ
(( you get my drift ,.. even the CSpan’s are dry toast as of late ))
Two possibilities, imo. Peres is practicing his usual “see, hear, speak no evil” routine (will he ever retire?), or it’s deliberate disinformation. If Israel really did destroy a nuke site (and it’s looking more and more likely all the time), there is no way that relations with Syria will improve any time soon.
Really, it is infuriating to no end that this kind of story isn’t all over our TV news.
Peres is too busy having Dinner with Madonna, the AMASSADOR of JUDAISM!!! What a shallow little man.
Patrick_k - how close are you to where this incident occured? What are the ramifications for the Maronite christians?
Wow, this story is not getting a lot of traffic. I guess the act Muslims killing Christians is so common, no one notices. Or is it OJitis afflicting everyone?
You know, you make an excellent point. This story should be bigger.
Just sounds like more Syrian “Democracy” in action...
LOL. I see I am not the only one who is SICK of listening to the nonstop OJ, Britney Spears coverage.
I tried again this morning to watch the news (hoping to hear more about the Israeli strike in Syria recently), and when I turned on the TV all channels were breathlessly reporting “OJ is expected to walk into the coutroom at any time.”
I have given up on getting any news from TV, just go on the net now for real news.
Western civilization is pre-occupied with amusing itself to death. This sort of ugliness simply has no entertainment value.
It has long been understood that the antidote to a policy of targeted assassinations is retaliation assassinations. That’s the only thing that will stop the nonsense short of open warfare. This is, in essence gang violence writ large. Mr. Assad needs to learn about The Chicago Way.
"By the intersession of your Mother, O Lord, turn your wrath from the land and its inhabitants. Put an end to trouble and sedition, banish from it war, plunder, hunger and plague. Have pity on us in our misfortunes. Console those of us who are sick. Help us in our weakness. Deliver us from oppression and exile. Grant eternal rest to our dead. Allow us to live in peace in this world that we may glorify you."
VIIth century Maronite prayer
That prayer continues today.
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