Rafik al-Hariri - Former Lebanese PM - Assasinated

[Eli]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/02/14/beirut.explosion/index.html

Hariri, a billionaire businessman who resigned from government last October, recently joined calls by the opposition for Syria to quit Lebanon in the run-up to general elections in May, Reuters reported

...

Monday's explosion occurred before a backdrop of increasing political tension ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for May.

Lebanon's pro-Syrian government, which counts on its neighbor for security, has come under fire from the anti-Syrian opposition, which says Lebanon can take care of its own security.

Syria maintains about 16,000 troops in Lebanon, based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley, according to the CIA. The Arab League approved that troop deployment under the Ta'if Accord at the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

After Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, the opposition began to demand that Syria withdraw as well. The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last October calling on Syria to withdraw.

A syrian job?

[Zoid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mi...ast/4263893.stm

Pretty gruesome pics there as well

It certainly looks like a syrian job. He was threatening syrian interests after all. But if this was a state assasination it was very clumsy. More like state terrorism...

[Urban Ranger]

Please post in the other thread, which happens on the first page, Eli

[Urban Ranger]

It appears that something odd happened.

[Ming]

Then fix it

[Zoid]

A little-known group calling itself Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria issued a statement claiming responsibility and saying the blast was caused by a suicide bomb, but the claim cannot be verified.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4266587.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4265329.stm

[Jaakko]

The US immediately started rattling sabres with Syria, even though nobody knows who did it yet. Hell, it might even have been a mafia-style hit, seeing as how the guy was worth billions and involved in many shady deals.

Why the Bush admin feels that further tension is needed in this situation, I will never understand.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by Jaakko
The US immediately started rattling sabres with Syria, even though nobody knows who did it yet. Hell, it might even have been a mafia-style hit, seeing as how the guy was worth billions and involved in many shady deals.

Why the Bush admin feels that further tension is needed in this situation, I will never understand.

well they must be evaluating who is the weakest link, Iran or Syria... NK has nukes already so they are out of the picture...

This is just to keep the options open

[lord of the mark]

the US did not rattle sabres, but merely said that this reiterates the need for Syria to withdraw. Such withdrawl would be in accord with a recent UNSC resolution, one supported by France as well as the US, and is desired by many different groups in Lebanon. The US did NOT say that Syria was at fault.

But between you and me, Syria probably was. Mafia? they can move around explosives in such quantity in Syrian occupied Lebanon? Besides, shortly after the bombing, a video appeared of a Palestinian claiming the attack on behalf of Al Qaeeda, which the Lebanese authorities quickly stated was who did it. If its NOT AQ, than its a pretty good bet that this is a deliberate coverup of Syrian involvement.

[Last Conformist]

What does Syria gain from de facto occupying Lebanon? It can't be exactly free to maintain an army there.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
What does Syria gain from de facto occupying Lebanon? It can't be exactly free to maintain an army there.

see Daniel Pipes, "Greater Syria, the History of an Ambition".

[Jaakko]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
the US did not rattle sabres, but merely said that this reiterates the need for Syria to withdraw. Such withdrawl would be in accord with a recent UNSC resolution, one supported by France as well as the US, and is desired by many different groups in Lebanon. The US did NOT say that Syria was at fault.

But between you and me, Syria probably was. Mafia? they can move around explosives in such quantity in Syrian occupied Lebanon? Besides, shortly after the bombing, a video appeared of a Palestinian claiming the attack on behalf of Al Qaeeda, which the Lebanese authorities quickly stated was who did it. If its NOT AQ, than its a pretty good bet that this is a deliberate coverup of Syrian involvement.

Taking advantage of an assassination to start pushing for a Syrian withdrawal isn't sabre rattling? I'd say it fits the category rather comfortably.
What the hell does that mean anyway? What kind of "pushing" are we talking about? The Syrians sure aren't going to give a **** about such vagueness if it doesn't imply a willingness to take punitive action.

In conclusion, even without that kind of speak, the risk of further violence and destabilisation is very high, so it would behoove the US to shut the **** up and not start empty posturing. The US isn't popular around that part of the world, remember?

BTW, why would it be impossible for criminal groups (with or without political/religious connections) to move explosives in Lebanon?
Mind, I'm not saying it was done by such interests, I'm just wondering where you get such precise knowledge.

[Jaakko]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


see Daniel Pipes, "Greater Syria, the History of an Ambition".

Be advised that Pipes is a bit of a bigot.

[The Mad Monk]

Jaakko, when was the last time a billionaire got whacked?

[Jaakko]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Jaakko, when was the last time a billionaire got whacked?