Lebanese minister assassinated in attack on convoy

Reuters ^

[gondramB]

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said.

They said gunmen opened fire as his convoy drove through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighborhood. Gemayel was rushed to hospital where he later died of his wounds.

Lebanon is in the throes of a political storm pitting the anti-Syrian ruling majority against the pro-Damascus opposition. The political tension threatens to spill into street confrontations.

[conservative blonde]

Who will be the first to blame Bush?

[Eurotwit]

I think it was more personal than that:

According to witnesses a car crashed into the ministers car from behind. Then the assassin got out of the car, walked over to the ministers car, and fired from close range.

[gondramB]

There was one article on Google news 32 minutes ago. 196 now
http://news.google.com/nwshp?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wn&ncl=1111397285

I read a little French... Google follows 500 French news sources, 22 have a story so far and as I read the tone its much lower key - maybe they don't want to deal with a crisis while its their Peace Keepers stuck there.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=fr&ned=fr&q=Gemayel&ie=UTF-8

[ExSoldier]

Half a dozen bullets entered the drivers window and dented the passenger door in a tight group. Windows busted out.

Makes sense, take out the driver to slow or stop the vehicle, presenting a trapped and immobilized primary target waiting to be nailed. No way out then. Were the tires also flattened? How did the victim get to the hospital? Was he DOA? Any word on shot placement or number of rds in the victim? This could be more than a run of the mill Jihadi marksman. Maybe it's imported talent? Freelance pro? Plenty of those around.

[claudiustg]

---According to witnesses a car crashed into the ministers car from behind. Then the assassin got out of the car, walked over to the ministers car, and fired from close range.---

Road rage.

[Txsleuth]

The son of Hariri??

[M203M4]

Son or nephew (I am assuming you are referring to Bachir Gemayel, murdered by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party 24 years ago)?

[ExSoldier]

Then the assassin got out of the car, walked over to the ministers car, and fired from close range.

But that doesn't square with the shots to the driver or the other groups in the door or window. Wouldn't do that from point blank range. Perhaps there were two shooters? (Grassy knoll theory) One stops the vehicle by taking out the driver. Shooter #2 following offers the Coup'de grace by walking up and finishing the job. DOA.

[ShutUpandSing]

No. His father was killed 25 years ago - inciting much civil unrest.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

[Txsleuth]

Thanks...after I posted that, I figured I was wrong.

I appreciate the help.

[sarasota]

I thought I read Baghdad.

[tobyhill]

Gear up Christian Soldiers because this may go down as one for the books. Had Olmert not been calling the shots Israel could have finished the Hezbos off and this may not have been a problem now.

[sawoody]

Interesting dispatch from MEMRI this morning. It doesn't mention the assassination of Minister Pierre Gemayel, so it must have been issued just prior to this event.

An assassination like this backs up MEMRI's warning that Lebanon is heading toward civil war.

Inquiry & Analysis-Lebanon
November 21, 2006
No. 301
Lebanon on the Brink of Civil War (2)

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit:

http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=IA30106

By H. Varulkar*

[Patrick_k]

The Gemayel's car was squeezed front and rear by two cars during broad daylight, another one stopped by and opened fire on Gemayel who was driving his car.
This comes during a crucial moment where the opposition is planning demonstrations and rallies against the government. I guess we can say goodbye to the demonstrations.
The UNSC is debating the international tribunal for the murder of Hariri . This new assassination should give a boost to the tribunal.

[VOA]

Fox has a local reporter on the phone saying there is now gunfire
being heard at the office of another minister who is Gemayel's ally.

Just a preview of how "elections" will work in the USA as we keep
importing more Muslims.

[Gritty]

Just like we are being urged to do now in Iraq, the Syrians need to be including in the Lebanese peace process to help in seeking a "solution". After all, if Syria has a place at the table, everybody can all talk reasonably together and negotiate a Grand Bargain, right?... Right?? /s

[Kozak]

Borat say: French forces will NOT stop unrest...

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

It's clear from the pictures that the assassin emptied a magazine into the driver's window and down into the passenger.

There were only 5 or 6 impacts on the passenger door, lower than in the window. The rest of the rounds must have remained in the driver and Gemayel. It's also possible that Gemayel was driving alone.

I found it interesting that the rounds didn't penetrate the passenger door. Perhaps it was an armored car but enough rounds in a short area could penetrate the glass.

Didn't a FReeper post a few days ago that Syria and Hizbollah were about to attempt a coup?

Michael Frazier