quote:

Lebanese anti-Syrian MP killed in Beirut car bomb

Staunch anti-Syrian lawmaker and journalist Gebran Tueni and two others were killed Monday when an explosion hit his convoy as it made its way through Beirut, a day after he returned from France, where he had been staying periodically for fear of assassination.

The blast destroyed the armored car as it was driving in the Mekalis area, a Christian eastern suburb that lies a few kilometers from the headquarters of the United Nations team investigating the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in February.

At least three people inside the car were killed, their bodies charred beyond recognition, witnesses said.

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A previously unknown group later in the day claimed responsibility for the attack, although there was no way to verify the authenticity of the statement.

In a statement faxed to Reuters bearing no insignia or letterhead, the group calling itself "Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom of the Levant", said the same fate awaited other opponents of "Arabism" in Lebanon.

"We have broken the pen of Gebran Tueni and shut his mouth forever and transformed an-Nahar into a very dark night," it said, referring to the newspaper Tueni published.

"We have succeeded today again in liquidating another of the mouthpieces that have...Spread their poison and lies and not stopped despite the warnings we have sent him time and again."

Tueni was a firebrand critic of Syria who was elected to parliament in this year's election.

Lebanese Druze leader and anti-Syrian MP Walid Jumblatt confirmed Tueni's death and accused Syria of killing him.

Asked if he was jumping the gun by accusing Syria, he told Al Jazeera television: "This is my reading of the situation. We've had enough killings, enough assassinations. He [Tueni] was targeted because he was the voice of freedom, him and others like him."

Syria said later that the timing of the explosion indicated an intention to damage Damascus' reputation.

In a statement carried by its official news agency SANA, Syria denounced the "bombing that took place in the Mekalis suburb of Beirut... whose timing is intended to direct accusations to Syria."

"Syria is pained over the bombings and assassinations that target the security of Lebanon," said the news agency.

SANA said those who level such accusations against Syria
"are completing the work of the criminals who carry out bombings in Lebanon and targeting Syria, Lebanon and the truth."

The bodies of Tueni, 48, his driver and a bodyguard were found in the car, charred beyond recognition. Assault rifles and military bags laid beside them inside the wrecked vehicle.

Security sources said a parked car packed with up to 100kg of dynamite, more than earlier reported, was detonated by remote control as Tueni's car passed by.

Tueni's car was hurled from the road and landed in a different street dozens of metres away.Shattered glass covered the streets while a heavy black smoke was seen bilowing over the area.

"I heard a deafening explosion and when I looked up I saw a car flying in the air," one passerby said.

Several cars were set ablaze and nearby shops and buildings suffered some damage in the blast. Police and soldiers cordoned off the area as rescue workers ferried casualties to hospitals. Some 38 people were reportedly wounded in the blast.

The news triggered an outpouring of grief for Tueni, a respected columnist and the general manager of An-Nahar, the country's leading newspaper.

Bells of Orthodox churches tolled in the Christian quarter of Ashrafieh, Tueni's constituency. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora called an emergency meeting of top security officials and asked the Cabinet to convene later Monday.

An elderly man wept openly at the scene of the bombing, pounding his head and shouting: "My God, Gebran, you were the only one who told the truth!"

At An-Nahar offices, staff with tears in their eyes received diplomats and other dignitaries who arrived to give their condolences. Scores of people, many of them students, gathered outside the paper's offices in downtown Beirut.

Anti-Syria
Tueni was elected as a member of parliament for the Greek Orthodox seat in Beirut in the May election on an anti-Syrian slate led by Saad Hariri, son of Rafik Hariri.

As publisher of An-Nahar, Tueni voiced fierce criticism of Syria's domination in Lebanon since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. He was among the most outspoken critics of Damascus and blamed it for Hariri's murder.

He said in August he had received "accurate" information that his name was on an assassination hit-list and had spent much of his time abroad since then, citing security fears.

Tueni's uncle, anti-Syrian Druze Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh, survived an assassination attempt in a car bomb in 2004.

The explosion came hours after chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis submitted his report to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the investigation.

Lebanon has been rocked by a series of mysterious explosion targeting anti-Syrian figures in recent months. Media reports have linked the bombings to the investigation into Hariri's assassination as an attempt to derail the probe.

In an earlier report in October, Mehlis implicated Syrian and allied Lebanese officials in the truck bombing that killed Hariri and 20 others in downtown Beirut.

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Lebanon blast kills anti-Syria lawmaker
Tueni was publisher of Lebanon's leading newspaper, An-Nahar


Anti-Syrian journalist and Lebanese Christian lawmaker Gebran Tueni has been killed along with two others in an explosion that targeted his convoy in an industrial suburb northeast of Beirut.


At least 10 cars were destroyed, some tossed into a valley in the hilly al-Mukhallis area when a car bomb exploded as Tueni's convoy passed through the area on Monday.

Aljazeera's correspondent in Beirut, Abbas Nasir, said that Lebanese security forces had confirmed the targeted car belonged to Tueni and that only three people had been killed. Earlier reports stated that four had died.

Lebanese security forces, officials and Tueni's relatives have converged on the blast site, Nasir said.

Tueni was married, with four daughters.

The area is an eastern Christian suburb a few kilometres from the headquarters of the UN team investigating the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

One of the other two killed was Niqola Fluti, a Tueni guard, sources close to the member of parliament told Aljazeera. The identity of the third victim was not immediately known.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora called an emergency meeting of top security officials and asked the Cabinet to convene later on Monday.

Preliminary estimates put the bomb's size at 40kg (88lb) of TNT.

Jumblatt's reaction

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt all but openly accused Syria of assassinating Tueni.

"We have received the message of the new assassination from the nearby security regime, as Mehlis presents his final report on al-Hariri's assassination to the UN Security Council," he told Aljazeera in an interview.


Tueni said in August he was at
the top of an assassination list

"This regime has killed al-Hariri, assassinated Samir al-Qasir and George Hawi. We have received the message," said Jumblatt, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party.

In an interview broadcast on Russian television on Sunday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reiterated his country's innocence and said any attempt to impose sanctions against Syria would destabilise the region.

"I have heard President al-Assad ... say that imposing sanctions on Syria will cause instability in the area," Jumblatt said. "We have received the message. Thank you. However, we will continue calling for the truth no matter what the price."

A former Lebanese official countered Jumblatt's accusations.

"How would Syria benefit from assassinating Gebran Tueni at this particular point of time?" Wiam Wahab, a former minister, told Aljazeera.

"Syria is not that stupid to assassinate him a few hours before the UN Security Council holds a meeting to discuss Mehlis's report."

Security fears

Tueni had spent much of his time since August outside Lebanon, citing security fears. He was believed to have returned to Beirut late on Sunday.

"Lebanese officials received accurate information from the international investigation committee about an assassination list of several politicians," he told the Arabic-language Radio Orient in Paris in August. "My name is on top of this list."


Tueni's death has removed one
of Syria's harshest political critics

Tueni's uncle, Druze Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh, survived an attempt on his life in 2004.

Tueni was publisher, chairman of the board and general manager of Lebanon's leading newspaper Al-Nahar. A columnist at the daily, Samir Kassir, who also criticised Syrian policies, was killed by a bomb in his car in June.

Tueni's grandfather, also Gebran Tueni, founded Al-Nahar. His father Ghassan Tueni is considered the dean of the Lebanese press, having turned the newspaper into an institution respected by friend and foe across the Arab world.

Lebanon has been rocked by a series of explosions targeting anti-Syrians in recent months. Media reports have linked the bombings to the investigation into al-Hariri's assassination as an attempt to derail the inquiry.

Mehlis report

The explosion on Monday came hours after chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis submitted his report to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the investigation.

Druze MP Jumblatt told Aljazeera Tueni was targeted as he represented a free voice. "Al-Nahar newspaper was and will always be the voice of the free people in Lebanon. Al-Nahar will always remain a free voice despite the assassination of Tueni," he said.

"This [assassination] is a message to Lebanese journalism.

"However, Lebanese journalism and the free people are much stronger than the terrorist regime that has sent these messages," Jumblatt said.

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BEIROET - Een christelijke buitenwijk van de Libanese hoofdstad Beiroet is maandag opgeschrikt door een zware bomexplosie. Daarbij is de parlementariėr Gebran Tueni om het leven gekomen, meldden reddingswerkers. Door de ontploffing zijn zeker nog drie doden gevallen. De politie maakte melding van op z'n minst tien gewonden.


Een auto gevuld met explosieven ontplofte toen een konvooi met andere auto's passeerde. Een van de gepantserde voertuigen vervoerde de 52-jarige Tueni, een christelijke politicus en journalist die bekendstaat als een uitgesproken tegenstander van Syrische invloeden in Libanon.

Auto's

De Libanese televisie zond beelden uit van een aantal volledig verwoeste en uitgebrande auto's. Ook een aantal gebouwen in de omgeving is beschadigd geraakt. De enorme klap in de oostelijke wijk Mekalis was overal in de stad te horen. De politie heeft de omgeving afgezet.

Hariri

In Beiroet zijn sinds de moord op de Libanese oud-premier Rafik Hariri in februari meerdere aanslagen gepleegd. Daarbij zijn een aantal anti-Syrische politici en journalisten omgekomen of gewond geraakt.

De dood van Hariri leidde tot het vertrek van het Syrische leger en de Syrische inlichtingendienst uit Libanon, na massale protesten van de Libanese bevolking en zware internationale druk. Desondanks is de Syrische invloed in het buurland nog altijd groot.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:14 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:
Alleen Israel heeft baat bij destabilisatie van de regio.

Kunnen ze lekker doorgaan met de al tientallen jaren durende bezetting. Weer nieuwe nederzettingen bouwen. Irak, als ondersteuner van de Palestijnse vluchtelingen, is eerst aangepakt.
Nu is Syrie aan de beurt?

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:18 schreef Pracissor het volgende:

[..]

Je hebt helemaal gelijk! Die smerige Zionisten zitten er weer achter! Laatst die aardbeving in Pakistan en nu dit weer...

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:14 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:
Alleen Israel heeft baat bij destabilisatie van de regio.

quote:

Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:14 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:
Alleen Israel heeft baat bij destabilisatie van de regio.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 19:09 schreef Beluga het volgende:

[..]

Want? Dan worden ze opgeblazen door allerlei zelfmoordidioten, zodat ze zich zielig kunnen vinden en dat vinden ze fijn?

Das de enige reden die ik kon bedenken en ik vind et niet heel sterk argument...

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 19:17 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:

Deportatie in een nieuw jasje.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 19:17 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:

[..]

Israel schakelt de vrienden van de Palestijnen uit en probeert zo de Palestijnen onder druk te zetten accoord te gaan met minder dan de officiele VN grens van 1947. Ook mogen de Palestijnse vluchtelingen niet meer terug naar hun huizen/geboortegrond in Israel.
Deportatie in een nieuw jasje.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 19:55 schreef Pracissor het volgende:

[..]

Idd! En het is bewezen als wat, ik las het laatst nog in een Arabische krant. Maar de Joden controleren de media hier, dus de waarheid komt er hier niet doorheen maar alleen de door Israel ingekleurde visie. Ondertussen vind er een tweede holocaust plaats in de Palestijnse gebieden en geen haan die er hier naar kraait! Ik steun de aanslagen van de Palestijnse vrijheidsstrijders dan ook met mijn hele hart, hopend dat die Joden eens zullen beseffen dat het land niet van hun is maar van de Palestijnen, die er al duizenden jaren wonen!

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:14 schreef Sarah-de-Vries het volgende:
Alleen Israel heeft baat bij destabilisatie van de regio.

Kunnen ze lekker doorgaan met de al tientallen jaren durende bezetting. Weer nieuwe nederzettingen bouwen. Irak, als ondersteuner van de Palestijnse vluchtelingen, is eerst aangepakt.
Nu is Syrie aan de beurt?

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 18:14 schreef Pracissor het volgende:
Het wordt daar tijd voor een revolutie.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 20:54 schreef Beluga het volgende:

[..]

Hmmm, klinkt best eng Je lijkt nu echt op Greta

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 21:29 schreef Pracissor het volgende:

[..]

Was cynisch bedoeld, ik wou even de idioterie van die walgelijke mensen ten toon spreiden.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 21:54 schreef kLowJow het volgende:

[..]

Mensen die vanuit jouw perspectief bezien misleid zijn, zijn walgelijk?

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 21:29 schreef Pracissor het volgende:

[..]

Was cynisch bedoeld, ik wou even de idioterie van die walgelijke mensen ten toon spreiden.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 22:02 schreef Beluga het volgende:

[..]

Ik weet et, maar je klonk echt eng

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 21:58 schreef Pracissor het volgende:

[..]

Ik deed alvast een stapje vooruit, ik hielp Sarah even door de holocaust vergelijking te maken, en ja dat is walgelijk.

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 22:07 schreef kLowJow het volgende:

[..]

Nee, dat is een ander woorden in de mond leggen, en diegene vervolgens op basis van deze zelfverzonnen uitspraak veroordelen.

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Ikzelf acht het ook vrij waarschijnlijk dat Syriė achter dit soort acties zit. Wanneer ik mijzelf afvraag waarom ik dit waarschijnlijk acht, kan ik niet anders dan constateren dat ik overspoeld ben met berichten die een dergelijke gang van zaken aannemelijk maakt. Hoe weet ik of ik het slachtoffer ben van een propaganda-oorlog?

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Op maandag 12 december 2005 22:11 schreef Pracissor het volgende:
Onderzoek van de VN die Syrie aanwijst?

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Op dinsdag 13 december 2005 12:54 schreef huupia34 het volgende:
de syriers hebben net een onderzoek op hun nek vanwegege die vorige liquidatie, ik denk niet dat ze dan rustig doorgaan met liquidaties terwijl de hele wereld meekijkt.zou een beetje dom zijn ivm sancties of militair ingrijpen.

alle vingers wijzen nu naar syrie, en dat is precies de bedoeling van de werkelijke moordenaars .
allemaal gebaseerd op een groter plan , om de syrische regering aan het wankelen te brengen.

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Op dinsdag 13 december 2005 14:20 schreef Roi het volgende:

[..]

Volgens het VN raport over de aanslag op Hariri in Syrie zeker betrokken bij de aanslag, maar de VB durft verder natuurlijk niets te doen.