Day By Day

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Lebanon -- The Violence Continues

Syrian intelligence seems to still be operating in Lebanon.

Reuters reports:

BEIRUT - An anti-Syrian politician was killed in Lebanon on Tuesday when a bomb ripped through his car, two days after parliamentary elections brought victory for an alliance opposed to Damascus' role in the country.

George Hawi, a former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, died instantly in the blast in the Wata Musaitbi neighborhood of Beirut, witnesses and security sources.
....

It was the second killing of an anti-Syrian figure in Beirut this month. Newspaper columnist Samir Kassir was killed on June 2 when a similar explosion destroyed his car outside his home.

The United States said after Kassir's killing it had information about a Syrian hit-list targeting Lebanese leaders. Damascus has denied the claim and denounced Hawi's killing.

Read it here.

Condi is on the case:

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Syria to "knock it off" on Tuesday after the second assassination this month in Lebanon of abprominent anti-Syrian figure.

Rice said she did not know who detonated the bomb that killed George Hawi, the former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, but she accused Syria of destabilising Lebanon despite withdrawing its troops from its tiny neighbor.

Will the revolution continue -- can Lebanon avoid the sectarian violence of the past -- will Syria pay a price for its meddling in Iraq and Lebanon? Stay tuned....

Read it here.

Check out YaLibnan's coverage -- lots of pictures. Here

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