LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 22/06Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10.
He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Free Opinions & Studies
Removal of Lahoud and UN Chapter 7. By: Dr. Walid Phares 22.11.06
Don't let one family's latest tragedy become that of a whole country-Daily Star 22.11.06Latest New from the Daily Star for November 22/11/06
Assassins claim Pierre Gemayel in broad daylight
Siniora promises legislation to speed up rebuilding process
Suleiman exhorts army to stay 'unified' but assassination forces cancellation of Independence Day celebrations
World unites in condemnation
Hariri says Siniora unity offer 'remains in effect'
Businesses heed request to show respect by closing
Khalifeh holds talks with Sfeir, calls for dialogue 'within constitutional institutions'
The US beggar can't be a chooser in the Middle East
Opposition plays coy on timing of promised protests-Daily Star
Collage of portraits of war dead maps shared despair - and hope
Israeli general visits France for talks on overflights of Lebanon
UN, Lebanese government agree on tribunal make-up
Security Council poised to pass Hariri tribunal
US prosecutor charges 2 for helping air Al-Manar
Halutz: Troops violated 'explicit' orders not to use cluster bombs
Israeli general visits France for talks on overflights of Lebanon
March 14 insists door is still open for resumption of talks
Lebanon's new generation languishes in e-hibernation
Independence was born in Rashaya, but tourism is the key to its futureLatest New from miscellaneous sources for November 22/11/06
Lebanese Christian politician killed-AP
Assassinated Lebanon politician was star-AP
Gemayel reaction: 'The hands of Syria are all over the place' at The London Times
US Rejects Syria, Iran Interference in Lebanon Affairs-Naharnet
Livni: Syria preventing Shalit release-Jerusalem Post
France Accuses Syria, Iran of Seeking to Destabilize Lebanon-Naharnet
Israeli minister blames Syria for troubles in peace process-International Herald Tribune
American captured by Syria 'still alive after 23 years'-Ynetnews
Lebanon's Unstable Politics Mirrored in Beirut Student Election-Bloomberg
Two US men charged with broadcasting Hezbollah TV-Reuters
In Sunni-dominated Mideast, fear of "Shiite bloc" reaches fever ...International Herald Tribune
U.S. wary of Iran, Syria role in Iraq -AP
UN poised to approve Hariri tribunal for Lebanon-Reuters
Syria, Iran seeking to destabilize Lebanon: French FM-The News
Annual Fundraising Appeal-CounterPunch
US Dialogue With Iran, Syria Would Be 'Disastrous,' Experts Say-Family Security Matters
Good advice from Confucius-Ha'aretz
Envoy: Israeli and French officials meet on Lebanon overflights-Ha'aretz
Response to the Terrorist assassination of Gemayel
REMOVAL OF LAHOUD AND UN CHAPTER 7
*By: Dr. Walid Phares
November 22/06
The Terrorist assassination of Minister Pierre Gemayel in Beirut is another war crime against the democratically elected Government and Parliament of Lebanon, and another strike in the Terror War waged by the Syrian regime and its allies against the Cedars Revolution and Lebanon's targeted democracy. Hence, the response should be at the hands of the international community, starting from the United Nations' Security Council to the various countries worldwide concerned with democracy and human rights.
Pierre Amin Gemayel was an elected member of parliament in June 2005 after the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April of the same year. He was one of the leaders of the Cedars Revolution and the minister of industry in the Seniora Government. Gemayel was an active advocate against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, for the implementation of UNSCR 1559 and calling for the disarming of all militias, including Hezbollah. The young leader has been calling for the resignation of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and for the prosecution of the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. In short, Pierre A. Gemayel was one of the pillars of the political resistance to the Syrian and Iranian regimes in Lebanon. He, and his colleagues were calling for the disarming of Hezbollah and the inclusion of moderate Shiite leaders in the political process.
Hezbollah and the Syrian-Iranian axis have considered the last legislative elections in the US and the formation of the Baker Commission as a signal to wage terror campaigns to crumble the political process in Iraq and the cabinet in Lebanon. This week, secretary general of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah and his allies were preparing to wage urban uprising against the Government. But the supporters of the Cedars Revolution said they will take the streets again. Hence, as we witnessed today in Beirut, the "Terror arm" of the Syro-Iranian camp moved forward to strike the Government instead.
1) Killing three ministers would paralyze the functioning of the cabinet per internal regulations. The assassination of Pierre Gemayel is a step in the campaign to "empty the cabinet" from its members.
2) This assassination aims at intimidating civil society from mobilizing against the pro-Syrian campaign.
And in response to the assassination and the terror campaign, the international community should act swiftly in defense of Lebanon's population under the UN chapter 7, by voting a new resolution to reinforce the UNIFIL in Lebanon and endow it with a deterrence and security mandate to protect civil society from violence as was the case in East Timor and Kosovo.
The Cedars Revolution real and strategic response to the Terror War waged against Lebanon's civil society should be to press for the removal of Emile Lahoud from the Presidency and disband his security operatives.
*Dr Walid Phares is a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and one of the architects of the UNSCR 1559LCCC Release: Terrorism hits again and a new martyr falls in Lebanon
Toronto Canada November 21/06
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC), strongly denounces the evil assassination of Lebanese MP and cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel who was cowardly shot by unidentified assassins today in Beirut. The LCCC calls on our Canadian government and people, as well as on all the free world countries, to actively and firmly rally around the "Cedars Revolution" leadership and support them in both Lebanon and the Diaspora in their peaceful and civilized struggle against terrorism and terrorists. This is a very sad day for our beloved homeland Lebanon, and for all the faithful and peace-loving Lebanese people all over the world. Meanwhile the criminals, no matter who they are, and no matter who protects and harbors them will not prevail or deter the Lebanese people from their pursuit of independence, sovereignty and freedom. The evil terrorist powers, spearheaded by the Syrian Baathist regime and its militant militias in Lebanon, are still trying to destabilize the whole Middle East and hinder the emergence of a free, democratic, tolerant, multicultural and sovereign Lebanon. We call on the UN Security Council to create an international tribunal to investigate this new crime and bring the criminals to justice. From the LCCC we offer our heartfelt condolences to the Gemayel family, to the Phalanges Party and to the Lebanese people in both Lebanon and the Diaspora. May Almighty God bless Pierre Gemayel's soul and receive in His Heaven this new Martyr of Lebanon.
For the LCCC
Chairman/Elias Bejjani
Political Adviser/Colonel Charbel BarakatAssassins claim Pierre Gemayel in broad daylight
Gunmen also kill 1 bodyguard, wound another and at least 1 bystander
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BEIRUT: Pierre Gemayel, Lebanon's industry minister and the son of former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, was shot dead in a brazen daylight attack in the northern Beirut suburb of Jdeideh on Tuesday. Conflicting reports emerged on the details of the attack, in which a sport-utility vehicle either rammed or pulled alongside a silver KIA sedan driven by Gemayel. An unknown number of assailants then fired through the driver's side window of the vehicle, hitting the minister and at least two others.The anti-Syrian minister was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Joseph Hospital in Dora, according to hospital sources. One of Gemayel's bodyguards, Samir Chartouni, died a few hours later from his wounds. The condition of a second bodyguard wounded in the attack was unknown. Internal Security Forces, a forensics team and the Lebanese Army arrived at the crime scene shortly after the shooting to collect evidence.
Television footage showed damage to the front of the victims' vehicle and multiple holes in the driver's-side window.
Several Jdeideh residents told The Daily Star late on Tuesday that they had heard "muffled sounds of shooting." Witnesses alternately said that a "Range Rover" or a "Honda MRV" had been used in the attack. A witness was "being treated for serious injuries at the St. Joseph Hospital as well," according to a report by local satellite television station LBC. Acting Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat and State Prosecutor Said Mirza went to the hospital after the incident. "Several witnesses are being questioned and some detained pending further questioning," a security source said.
Military Investigating Magistrate Jean Fahd, Chief Investigating Magistrate Rashid Mizher and Mirza met late Tuesday at Mirza's office in order "to exchange information on the incident," another security source said. "Twenty-four bullet casings picked up from the crime scene are being inspected to determine their serial numbers to know the kind of arms used," the second source said, adding that "the guns apparently had silencers which muffled the shots."Gemayel was a main leader of the Christian Phalange Party, which was founded by his grandfather, also Pierre Gemayel.
The minister's assassination comes amid increasing political tensions in Lebanon. The elimination of a member of a Cabinet controlled by the parliamentary majority March 14 Forces had been anticipated by key members of the anti-Syrian coalition such as Samir Geagea, the head of the Lebanese Forces, who said explicitly on Friday that a minister could be assassinated in an attempt by the opposition to "topple" the government.
Hizbullah and the Amal Movement withdrew their five ministers from the Cabinet on November 11. The March 14 Forces accuse the Shiite bloc and its allies of trying to prevent the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
With Gemayel's death and the resignation of Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf on November 13, the Cabinet has lost a total of seven ministers in the last two weeks.The removal of nine ministers would render the 24-member Cabinet incapable of assembling a quorum.
MP Saad Hariri, the head of the Future Movement and son of the slain former premier, was interrupted at a live news conference by news of Gemayel's death at 3:30 p.m. Gemayel is the fifth anti-Syrian figure to be killed in the past two years and the first member of Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet to be assassinated. Gemayel's death sparked anger throughout predominantly Christian communities in Lebanon, with supporters of his Phalange Party vowing revenge against the March 8 coalition and pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. Gemayel's funeral will be held Wednesday at St. Georges Church in Downtown Beirut at 1 p.m. French Foreign Minister Phillip Douste-Blazy was said to have committed to attending the service.Siniora promises legislation to speed up rebuilding process
PM answers critics with details of progress
By Lysandra Ohrstrom -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BEIRUT: Legislation to expedite Lebanon's recontruction and support institutions that suffered losses during the July-August war with Israel will be presented to Parliament soon, Premier Fouad Siniora said Tuesday. The government has received more than $813 million of the $2 billion worth of financial assistance pledged by private donors and the international community at the Stockholm conference.
Addressing the diplomatic corps at the Grand Serail about the progress that has been made rebuilding the country during the first 100 days since the August 14 cease-fire, Siniora defended his administration's postwar performance and asked donors to continue their support.
"Despite some unjustified and unfair criticism, we are determined to perform our duty and address all postwar economic, social, and humanitarian issues which face us," the prime minister said. Though the government remains fully committed to economic reforms, he added, the five-year plan presented before the war has been modified to accommodate Lebanon's recovery needs.
The existing plan "will fail to achieve sustained and equitable growth and debt sustainability in the absence of a sizeable frontloaded program of external support," he said. The government has successfully repaired water facilities, bridges, schools, roads, hospitals, electricity and telecommunications networks, airport runways and fuel tanks, cleared 1.7 million cubic meters of debris, and made progress cleaning up the oil spill from the bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant, he said. Compensation has been distributed to residents of 64 villages in the South Lebanon, the Western Bekaa, and the Dahiyeh whose homes were destroyed, said Siniora, and assistance to fishermen and families of the deceased has also begun.
After outlining the government's accomplishments, Siniora shifted to the political impasse facing the ruling March 14th coalition, urging politicians to present a unified front to preserve Lebanon's stability. "Do we want a progressive and growing economy able to raise the living standards of the Lebanese people and stem poverty?" he asked. "Do we want to drive our youth away, or rather make them feel like they have a role and future in their own country? Do we want to create opportunities and hope for future generations, or offer them the prospect of unemployment, despair and emigration?"
Without significant additonal contributions from Western and Arab donors at the upcoming Paris III conference, the government is powerless to "kickstart Lebanon's shell-shocked economy," Siniora warned. According to a new joint study by InfoPro and the Finance Ministry, total annual public revenues for 2006 will be $920 million lower than had been expected before the war erupted. Combined with a sharp increase in government expenditures necessitated by the conflict, the revenue shorftall is expect to boost the deficit from 30 percent of spending to 40 percent.
Suleiman exhorts army to stay 'unified' but assassination forces cancellation of Independence Day celebrations
Daily Star staff-Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BEIRUT: President Emile Lahoud has cancelled a ceremony to mark Independence Day due to the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel on Tuesday, a statement from the president's office said. The ceremony was to be held at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. A Lebanese Army celebration to be held at the Shukri Ghanem barracks in Fiyadieh also was cancelled, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the Lebanese Army Command.
Earlier Tuesday, Lebanese Army Commander General Michel Suleiman urged soldiers to remain "unified" in order to preserve the country's security and stability. "Your deployment along the Lebanese border is aimed at preventing wars, which the Lebanese people have been suffering from," Suleiman said in an address to his troops. "Your deployment constitutes an incentive to liberate the remaining occupied territories in the Shebaa farms, the Kfar Shuba Hills and Ghajar," Suleiman said. Highlighting the need to remain united, Suleiman called on all soldiers to act in accord with the "higher national interest."
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the meaning of independence "lies in the fact that we do not oppress anyone and do not let anyone to oppress us."
During a news conference Tuesday morning held at the Grand Serail, Siniora stressed the importance of dialogue, calling on the Lebanese to unite.
"We have to gather our power to defeat our weak points and protect our country's interests," he said. Meanwhile, the Democratic Renewal Movement said the current government could not be toppled by proposed demonstrations by the opposition "because [the government] represents the Lebanese people' aspirations to independence and sovereignty." "Despite the fact that holding demonstrations is a democratic right, it cannot overthrow the current government," a statement from the movement said. "In spite of some mistakes, the government is still supported by the great majority of the Lebanese people.""The only democratic and rational way to change the government is to reach an agreement over a comprehensive solution [to the current political deadlock], including the election of a new president and the creation of a new electoral law," the statement added.
The movement said the year had been marked by "a remarkable divergence between two parties.""The first represents the keenness of government and the March 14 Forces to provide Lebanon with diplomatic, economic and political steadfastness, while the second is keen on exposing the country to international and regional conflicts," the statement said. In other developments, Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani urged the Lebanese to put an end to "street challenges which might plunge the country into conflicts that threaten its independence."In a statement, Qabbani called on the Lebanese to protect their independence. He said that the country needed to promote unity and solidarity.
"Challenges only lead to more tension ... to the loss of Lebanon," he said. Meanwhile Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan wished the Lebanese "tranquility, peace and stability." "I hope the Lebanese try, through dialogue, to find common points so the current crisis ends as good as it can be," Hassan said in a statement. For its part, the Third Force expressed concern about mounting tensions between political adversaries and called for the establishment of a national unity government. In a statement issued after a meeting Tuesday, the party said current political divisions "have become intense, which threatens the society's unity and stability and endangers civil peace."
"In the absence of any solution to get out of the current crisis, we are now convinced that Lebanese officials are not the country's decision-makers," the statement said. "The formation of a national unity government is the only solution ... otherwise, the crisis might remain open," it added.
Separately, ministers and MPs laid wreaths on the tombs of political leaders who played a major role in the country's independence. - The Daily Star
World unites in condemnation
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
The international community voiced shock at the assassination on Tuesday of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and the United States accused Syria and Iran of fomenting violence and instability in Lebanon. Russia, the European Union, Britain, Germany and France all voiced shock, without apportioning blame. Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Gulf states and Iran were united in condemning the murder and urging the Lebanese to seek dialogue.
Speaking to US troops stationed in Hawaii, US President George W. Bush said: "We support [Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's] government and its democracy and we support the Lebanese people's desire to live in peace and we support their efforts to defend their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran and allies to foment instability and violence in that important country."
Bush did not specifically blame Iran or Syria.
"I call for a full investigation of the murder to identify those people and those forces behind the killing. We call on the international community to support Prime Minister Siniora's government," he said.
But Bush's tone, further bolstered in a written statement on the killing, appeared to cast further doubt on already slim chances of a diplomatic opening with Iran and Syria over Iraq.
"Syria's refusal to cease and desist from its continuing efforts to destabilize Lebanon's democratically elected government" was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Bush said.
"We also demand that Syria treat Lebanon as a genuinely sovereign neighbor, establishing full diplomatic relations with Lebanon," he added.
The president said the assassination made it even more important for the United Nations Security Council to make a decision on a tribunal to investigate the killing of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, traveling with Bush, telephoned Siniora with condolences and to reiterate US support for democracy in Lebanon, said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman.
Earlier, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, raised the possibility of Syrian involvement in the slaying of Gemayel.
Referring also to the Hariri investigation, Bolton told reporters: "I think people can draw their own conclusions."
Syria issued a complete denial of involvement in the killing through its embassy in Washington. It condemned the murder as "an odious crime ... aimed at destabilizing Lebanon and disturbing the civil peace."
"This charade of blaming Syria for every malicious event in Lebanon has been exposed a long time ago and is, simply, losing all credibility," the embassy statement said. "Syria is outraged by this terrible act. In a time when the international community is advocating more engagement with Syria, such an act only stands to undermine these initiatives."
The embassy suggested the killing was timed by unnamed elements to discredit Syria ahead of the Security Council decision expected imminently on the Hariri tribunal.
"It's no coincidence that Pierre Gemayel was assassinated on the day the Security Council is discussing a Lebanese issue," the statement said.
The slaying came just as the 15-member Security Council was set to reach a decision on whether to give its green light for creation of the tribunal.
The council endorsement would come in the form of a letter to UN chief Kofi Annan, if no member raises objections by 6 p.m. (2300 GMT). The Daily Star had already gone to press by the time the meeting convened.
Bolton said Gemayel's death highlighted the need to set up the tribunal.
"We are confronted with what appears to be yet another terrorist assassination in Beirut," he said. "It shows why we need the tribunal established as soon as possible."
Iran also condemned what it termed the "cowardly" assassination, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reported.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns this cowardly act and expresses its solidarity with the family," ISNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini as saying. "Without any doubt, this act was carried out by enemies of Lebanon who do not want the country to be a symbol of national unity and of the victory of the resistance" against Israel."
The killing came as "all Lebanese parties were showing political maturity to avoid any confrontation," he added.
Both French President Jacques Chirac and the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the killers must be brought to justice.
France "stands alongside Lebanon in support of the full implementation of Security Council resolutions, notably for the creation of an international court [to try Hariri's killers]," a presidential statement said.
Jordanian King Abdullah II denounced what he called a "cowardly crime that is targeting the security and stability of brother Lebanon," the official Petra news agency said.
He pointed to the need "for the Lebanese people to close ranks at this time and not to allow [efforts] aimed at provoking divisions at the heart of the Lebanese people to succeed."
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak urged the Lebanese to and put aside differences "in order not to lose Lebanon."
"We are for any initiative that leads to peace in Lebanon," Mubarak added.
In Riyadh, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) denounced the killing.
"The political crisis in Lebanon has led to the assassination," GCC Secretary General Abdel-Rahman al-Atiyya said, saying members Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman "reject such terrorist acts designed to propagate disorder."
UN chief Kofi Annan condemned "the cold-blooded murder," saying through his spokesman that such acts "undermine Lebanon's stability and have no place in a democratic and open society."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair demanded a detailed inquiry and said Siniora must be protected. Blair's foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, said the assassination would only increase regional tension.
"Clearly we condemn it ... There are enough problems in Lebanon already," she told a news conference with her Israeli counterpart, Tzipi Livni.
Livni said it was too soon to comment on accusations against Syria, but she added that "the negative role of Syria in Lebanon is not something new or top secret." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the assassination as "clearly another attempt to sabotage the development of an independent, sovereign and democratic Lebanon." - Agencies
Businesses heed request to show respect by closing
By Lysandra Ohrstrom -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BEIRUT: Hours after the assassination of Pierre Gemayel in Sin al-Fil on Tuesday, businesses in the Gemmayzeh neighborhood closed to honor the slain industry minister and comply with a request from the Phalange Party. At least two members of the Phalange patrolled the main drag of Gemmayzeh - one of Beirut's most popular nightspots - almost immediately after news of the assassination broke and asked bars and restaurants to remain shut until Thursday. Every business on the strip closed at their request.
For the first time since July, the usually congested Gouraud Street emptied of all cars and pedestrians as shopkeepers moved their wares inside.
An employee at Cocktail Maklouf said the juice stand was closing because it supported the Christian Kataeb movement and planned to remain closed for Independence Day on Wednesday.
"We wanted to close because we belong to the Kataeb, but I don't know what would happen if we wanted to stay open," he said of what the consequences might be for refusing to close shop. "Maybe Kataeb supporters would not come to us anymore, maybe we would get a stone through our window," he added with a shrug. Even Gemmayzeh mainstay Torino Express, one of the only bars to remain open throughout the entire war, closed its doors. Soldiers standing outside the Gouraud Street police station confirmed that Phalange representatives had approached each individual merchant, but said the army was not enforcing closures. Most businesses elsewhere in town remained open.Profile: Pierre Gemayel
Agencies
Pierre Gemayel was first elected to parliament in 2005 and was believed to be the youngest legislator in the legislature.
He came from a prominent family of politicians.
His father, Amin, served as president between 1982 and 1988 and his grandfather, the late Pierre Gemayel, led the right-wing Christian Phalanage Party that fielded the largest Christian militia during the 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims. Amin Gemayel is the current leader of the party. Pierre was a rising star in the party and expected to carry the mantle of the political family to the next generationNICHOLAS BURNS, US UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE
This is a very sad day for Lebanon. We were shocked by this assassination. We view it as an act of terrorism and we also view it as an act of intimidation.
We believe it is the responsibility of all countries to support the [Fouad] Siniora government. We will give full support to the Siniora government in the days and weeks ahead.
MARGARET BECKETT, UK FOREIGN SECRETARY
There are enough problems in Lebanon already, and we hope very much that whatever lies behind this it is a one-off, because what we are all anxious to do is to rebuild in Lebanon and not to see further death and destruction.
TZIPI LIVNI, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER
The news from Lebanon is another example of the kind of region, the kind of neighbourhood we are living (in).
The negative role of Syria in Lebanon is not something new or top secret and only a few weeks ago the international community succeeded in taking Syrian forces and Syria out of Lebanon. But clearly they are trying to be involved even now, but it's too early to say something more concrete.U.S. denounces murder of Lebanese leader
WASHINGTON - The State Department denounced Tuesday's assassination of Lebanese Christian leader Pierre Gemayel as an act of terrorism that was intended to intimidate. "We are shocked by this assassination," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters.
Burns stopped short of casting blame for the assassination but took note of recent statements by Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and others that he said are meant "to destabilize Lebanon and to divide the country." Nasrallah has urged his followers to prepare for mass demonstrations to topple the government of Prime Minister Faud Saniora if it ignores Hezbollah's demands to form a national unity Cabinet,
Burns praised Saniora's 20-month old government, seeing it as a step toward returning Lebanon "to a position of real sovereignty, freeing it from Syria's influence and from "the politics of violence and assassination." He said the United States views the assassination of Gemayel, a prominent anti-Syrian politician, as an act of intimidation against the coalition. "We believe it is the responsibility of all countries to support the Saniora government," Burns added.
Recalling past assassinations of members of the Gemayel family, Burns said the family has played a very important role in the history of Lebanon and "has suffered too much tragedy as a family."He said it is very important that those who would use violence to divide Lebanon not be allowed to succeed.
"We will give full support to the Siniora government in the days and weeks ahead," Burns said.US says Lebanese minister's death is act of terror
Tue 21 Nov 2006 15:31:56 GMT
WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The United States views the assassination of Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel as an "act of terrorism," a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. "This is a very sad day for Lebanon. We were shocked by this assassination. We view it as an act of terrorism and we also view it as an act of intimidation," U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said of the assassination. Burns said all nations should rally around the embattled government of Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to oppose those who were trying to divide Lebanon. "We think it is very, very important that those who would divide Lebanon and use violence to destabilize the political situation not be able to succeed," Burns said. "We will give full support to the Siniora government in the days and weeks ahead, to support that government, to support its continuation." Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was gunned down near Beirut on Tuesday as his convoy drove through a Christian neighborhood. The United States has in recent weeks raised the alarm over the increased threat of assassination of Lebanon's political leaders and called for international support for Siniora. Gemayel's killing is certain to deepen a political crisis pitting the Lebanese government's anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah, which fought a five-week war with Israel in July and August.
British PM condemns killing of Lebanese minister
21 November 2006
Tony Blair says the death of Pierre Gemayel underlines the "absolute and urgent" need for a strategy that supports democracy in the Middle East.
The minister, 34, was shot in his car in a Beirut suburb and rushed to hospital, where he died.
The PM condemned the killing as being "without justification", saying that the international community needed to do all it could to protect democracy in Lebanon. He went on:
"This underlines once again the absolute and urgent need for a strategy for the whole of the Middle East that supports those who favour democracy and a proper way of resolving disputes everywhere."
Mr Blair's comments came in a press conference following talks with the Greek PM.
William Hague condemns the assassination of Pierre Gemayel
Shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague has today condemned the assassination of Lebanese government minister Pierre Gemayel in Beirut.He said: "We strongly condemn the assassination of Mr Gemayel. "This is a difficult time for the government of Prime Minster Siniora and the people of Lebanon. "The international community must support Prime Minster Siniora's government as it stands up to this act of intimidation and terrorism."
Rt Hon William Hague MP 21/11/2006
EU: Those behind Gemayel killing must be punished
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS, Belgium
The European Union condemned the killing of Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel on Tuesday, and said those behind the slaying of the prominent anti-Syrian politician must be brought to justice. "Those responsible for this cowardly assassination ... must be found and judged," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said. "Once again, Lebanon has paid a heavy price for its determination to live in peace and independence," Solana said in a French-language statement. "In my name, and that of the European Union, I pay homage to the courage and determination of all those who are struggling for an independent, sovereign and united Lebanon," Solana said. Solana deplores 'cowardly' murder of Lebanese minister
BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tuesday deplored the "cowardly" assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, saying that Lebanon was paying a high price for its wish for peace and independence. "I learned with consternation of the assassination of Pierre Gemayel," Solana said in a statement. "Those responsible for this cowardly assassination from another era must be brought to justice," he added.
"Lebanon has once again paid a high price for its wish to live in peace and independence. In its name and in the name of the European Union, I pay my respects to the courage and determination of all those trying to build an independent, sovereign and unified Lebanon," Solana added. Gemayel, a 34-year-old Christian Maronite politician opposed to Syria, was critically wounded in an attack in a northern Beirut suburb Tuesday in the latest in a spate of attacks to target anti-Syrian politicians.
Industry minister Pierre Gemayel quick biography
Daily Star Online edition staff
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Pierre Gemayel Jr is a Lebanese politician, son of former president of the republic Amine Gemayel, nephew of former president of the republic Bachir Gemayel and son of the founder of the Kataeb party Pierre Gemayel. He started his Lebanese political life in the year 2000, during the logistic elections of el-Metn. An active member of the Kataeb movement (which is against the official Kataeb party which has been directed by people who condone the Syria rule since the war), he rejoins his father in the political gathering of Kornet Chehwane. He was against the mandate ruling of President Emile Lahoud and has taken part in the Cedar Revolution after the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. During the elections of 2005 , he was the only member of the 14th of mars alliance to win a seat in the parliament in the Metn region , taking advantage that the opposing list, an alliance between Michel Aoun and Michel Murr had a vacant seat.On July 2005, he was named the minister of industry under the ruling of Fouad Siniora’s government, he had presented a plan for the development of the Lebanese industry at the end of 2005 that will be done for the Lebanese youth to savor by the year 2010, and he was assassinated on the 21st of November 2006.
Pierre Gemayel's assasination
Daily Star Online edition staff
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Prominent Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday his death will heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if it does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making. Witnesses said Gemayel was shot in his car in Jdeideh. The witnesses said a car rammed Gemayel's car from behind and then an assassin stepped out and shot him at point blank range. Gemayel was rushed to a nearby hospital seriously wounded he was later confirmed as dead. Gemayel, the minister of industry and son of former President Amin Gemayel, was a member of the Kataeb party and supporter of parliamentary majority, which is locked in a power struggle with different parties led by Hezbollah. Gemayel is the fifth figure to be assassinated in the past two years in Lebanon. Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. The journalist and activist Samir Kassir and former Communist Party leader George Hawi were killed in separate car bombings in June last year in addition to lawmaker and newspaper manager Gibran Tueni was killed in a car bombing in December. Saad Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, broke off a televised news conference after hearing that Gemayel had been shot. In an interview with CNN later, Hariri hailed Gemayel as "a friend, a brother to all of us" and appeared to break down after saying: "we will bring justice to all those who killed him." Gemayel was first elected to parliament in 2005 and was believed to be the youngest legislator in the legislature, where anti-Syrian groups dominate. He came from a prominent family of politicians. His father, Amin, served as president between 1982 and 1988 and his grandfather, the late Pierre Gemayel, led the right-wing Christian Kataeb Party that fielded the largest Christian militia during the 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims.
The father of Pierre Gemayel a Lebanese anti-Syrian minister who was killed today urged supporters to remain calm and avoid retribution. "I have one wish, that tonight be a night of prayer to contemplate the meaning of this martyrdom and how to protect this country," Former President Amin Gemayel told reporters outside a hospital where the body of his son Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was taken.
"I call on all those who appreciate Pierre's martyrdom to preserve his cause and for all of us to remain at the service of Lebanon. We don't want reactions and revenge," he said.
Pierre Gemayel death shakes UN as it seeks justice for previous murders
Nov 21, 2006, 18:14 GMT
Lebanese inspectors take evidences from the damaged vehicle at the site where prominent anti-Syrian Christian Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated, in Jdeideh suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, 21 November 2006. Gemayel, 34, was assassinated today in the latest in a spate of attacks to target anti-Syrian politicians. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH New York - The murder of anti-Syrian Lebanese politician Pierre Gemayel in Beirut on Tuesday shook the United Nations as it was seeking to bring to justice those responsible for other murders in the war-torn country, including the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called it a 'cold-blooded murder.' US Ambassador John Bolton called the shooting death of Gemayel, the minister of industry, a 'political assassination' that should be investigated.
'We have to support the democratic forces in Lebanon against this politically motivated assassination, this is not a way to change a government,' Bolton told reporters. 'This is why we need the tribunal established as soon as possible and why it's correct to expand the mandate of the Serge Brammertz investigation and why the tribunal needs the flexibility (for) the perpetrators of the other political assassinations,' he said.
Annan noted that the 'cold-blooded murder was carried out one day after the Security Council considered a report on the establishment of the special tribunal for Lebanon.' 'Such acts of terrorism are unacceptable and have no place in a democratic and open society,' Annan said. He said Gemayel believed 'strongly in an independent, democratic and united Lebanon.' While UN diplomats preferred not to link the death of Gemayel with previous assassinations that many Lebanese said were plotted by Syria, an agitated Bolton hinted to a connection with Damascus.
'If you look at evidence of past political assassinations (in Lebanon), people can draw their own conclusions,' Bolton said.
He strongly rejected charges that US interference in the Middle East caused instability.
'How incredibly wrong that could be,' Bolton said, urging the UN to seek justice for the murders. 'They're killing people in Lebanon and they are assassinating political leaders.' The UN Security Council was expected to approve the creation of a UN tribunal to try those responsible for the murder of Hariri and at least 14 murders of people known for their anti-Syrian views. The Hariri murder has been under investigation by a UN commission headed by Belgian prosecutor Brammertz, and initial findings have shown .
Gemayel was shot and killed Tuesday in a Christian neighbourhood of Beirut, Lebanese police said. Gemayel died on his way to the hospital.
Bolton said the shooting death of Gemayel was a 'turning point' in the history of Lebanon and the UN should urged Middle East countries to support democracy in Lebanon and the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The tribunal would also have jurisdiction over murders of Lebanese journalists and politicians who opposed Syria's military presence in Lebanon, which ended in May, 2005. The UN and the Lebanese government negotiated and agreed on the terms for the tribunal, which will have between 11 and 14 independent judges who will serve in trial and appeals chambers. A single international judge will serve as a pre-trial judge. The Lebanese government and the UN secretary general will discuss the judges' appointments. A prosecutor will be appointed by the UN secretary general for a three-year period. The headquarters of the tribunal will be situated outside of Lebanon in consideration of 'justice and fairness, administrative efficiency, the rights of the victims and proximity to witnesses ... security arrangements and affordable costs,' the UN said. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturNasr: Killing to create chaos for Lebanese government
POSTED: 1545 GMT (2345 HKT), November 21, 2006
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(CNN) -- Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was shot and killed by apparent assassins Tuesday in Beirut, senior Lebanese government officials said.Octavia Nasr, CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs, discussed the shooting, its impact and the significance of Gemayel being part of a prominent family of Christian politicians, with CNN's Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: Tell us what all of this means.
NASR: This is huge for Lebanon, very important to put things in perspective. This is not just any minister that was shot. Basically it is an assassination. He was shot in the head. Arab media this morning, especially Lebanese media, are confirming that he was killed, and also the head of the -- what they call the independence bloc in Lebanon just announced in his press conference that Pierre is indeed dead.
What this means is really chaos for Lebanon, at least for the short term because this is a government that was struggling with a lot of opposition from Hezbollah and the other pro-Syrian groups in Lebanon. Already, the finger has been pointed at Syria, saying Syria is behind the assassination. This is what the majority in government will be saying.
The only people being cautious about pointing fingers are the -- those that support Syria, and basically what is going to happen now is that there will be chaos. This is one minister missing from the government.
The government that had approved only last week an international tribunal to look into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri which took place last year, February of 2005, which started a whole new era for Lebanon, with Syria pulling out its troops, with the government -- a new government taking hold.
And now ... this very government that took over last year is facing a lot of opposition. And with losing one Christian member of it, this is going to create chaos for this government. The more likely scenario at this point is that this government is not going to be able to work effectively. There will be calls for a new government or an immediate replacement of this one minister.
So, while the country is going to be mourning this one huge personality, I have to tell you, this is not just any person that was assassinated. ... This is going to create a lot of anger on the streets of Lebanon because this is going to be seen as Syria and its supporters inside Lebanon really meddling with the business, with the democracy, with the constitution, with everything that really makes up Lebanon at this point.
So, expect reaction from the U.S., from the -- expect reaction from Europe, expect reaction from the whole world. But at the same time, there will be groups that will be very cautious as to pointing fingers toward Syria at this point.
COLLINS: You talk about this particular person being someone who really resonated with a big personality. Is that true as well with the people of Lebanon? You talk about chaos within the government and someone who will certainly have to replace this minister. What about the people and their relationship with him?
NASR: Right. Pierre Gemayel is a young man who comes from a family of politicians in Lebanon, a very prominent family, Christian Maronite, basically his -- his grandfather is the person who started the political group in Lebanon. And, you know, his grandfather was a very prominent figure; later on his father and his uncle were also prominent figures.
As a matter of fact, his uncle was assassinated himself as a president-elect of Lebanon. So basically this is a family that paid a high price in the -- during the civil war of Lebanon, and now with this assassination ... this will definitely resonate with the people.
Many people stand behind the family and also the group itself. Remember last year, 2005, February of 2005, Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon, was assassinated. And that drove people to the streets, demonstrating in the streets, and basically calling for Syria to pull out of Lebanon and calling for the pro-Syrian government to just go home. That's exactly what happened.
But since then, many people, many observers, many experts who are very aware of what's going on in Lebanon have said that Syria is not going to be letting this happen just so easily, that Syria continues to meddle in Lebanon's business.
As a matter of fact, you heard President Bush several times, Condoleezza Rice, many people in this -- in the U.S. administration calling on Syria to stop meddling in Lebanon's business for this very reason.
Lebanese Christian politician killed
November 21, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Lebanese Cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel has been shot dead in Beirut, senior Lebanese government officials said. The killing adds to political tensions in the country. Industry minister Gemayel, who was in his 30s, was a member of the Christian Phalange party and supporter of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority. Tuesday's killing is set to deepen the political crisis in which the Lebanese government is currently locked in a power struggle with pro-Syrian factions led by Hezbollah. (Watch aftermath of shooting -- 2:10) Saad Hariri, the majority leader in parliament, blamed Syria for the killing, saying Damascus wanted to stop the Lebanese government from backing a U.N. international tribunal into alleged Syrian participation in the 2005 assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "Pierre Gemayel was one of the people who was one of the founders also of the revolution, and today, as we have warned the international community that our revolution is under attack," Hariri said. "Today one of our main people, main believers in a free, democratic Lebanon, has been killed.
"And we believe that the hands of Syria are all over the place because today, in a few days it will have been the second vote on the international tribunal that Syria has always been trying to avoid."In a statement released from Syria's state-run news agency, Syria "strongly" condemned Gemayel's assassination.
U.S. slams killing
Gemayel was considered a crucial member of the Lebanese Cabinet and his death weakens Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's grip on power.
Authorities said a gunman ran up to the car Gemayel was riding in and opened fire. Gemayel was said to have been hit at least twice in the head and neck.
Lebanese television broadcast video of the bullet-riddled car that had been carrying Gemayel.
Lebanese television showed angry and distraught supporters gathering outside the hospital, Reuters news agency said.
The United States was quick to condemn the killing. State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the United States was "shocked by this assassination," calling the attack "an act of terrorism."
"It's unfortunately part of an all-too-often pattern of violence and assassination in Lebanon's recent political history over the last 30 to 40 years," Burns said.
He said the United States will "redouble" its efforts to support the Siniora's government.
"It's a very sad day to see someone, a young leader like this who was devoted to public service, to be gunned down."
In the ongoing political crisis, all five Shiite Muslim ministers and one Christian in Siniora's 24-member Cabinet resigned last week over the creation of the international tribunal to probe the assassination of Hariri.. U.N. investigators linked Syria to the death of Hariri and 22 other people on February, 14, 2005, when an explosion was set off near his motorcade. Damascus denies any involvement, and Hezbollah says Syria's accusers have no evidence to back up their claims.
Hariri's assassination led to a wave of anti-Syrian protests, dubbed the "Cedar Revolution," and the withdrawal of Syria's military from Lebanon. Syria had dominated Lebanon since 1976, when Syrian troops entered in the early days of Lebanon's civil war.
In quotes: Gemayel murder reaction
Pierre Gemayel was shot dead while driving through Beirut
The Lebanese anti-Syrian politician Pierre Gemayel has been shot and killed while driving through Beirut.
Mr Gemayel was a member of the Phalange Party and the son of former President Gemayel Amin.
Below is a selection of reactions from around the world.
SAAD HARIRI, SON OF MURDERED LEBANESE PM RAFIK HARIRI
The Cedar Revolution is under attack. Today one of our main believers in a free democratic Lebanon has been killed. We believe the hands of Syria are all over the place.
The people of Lebanon will not give up on the international tribunal. This will make them even more determined. We will bring justice to those who killed Pierre Gemayel.
SYRIAN OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY
Syria strongly condemns the killing. This is a crime aimed at destabilising Lebanon. Syria is careful about preserving Lebanon's security, unity and civil peace.
HASSAN FADLALLAH, HEZBOLLAH MP, LEBANON
First of all we condemn this crime. It aims at stirring up trouble and deepening the crisis in Lebanon.
However, before we start issuing accusations or name the names of the criminals who have committed this crime, it is the responsibility of the Lebanese security authorities to immediately launch an investigation.
Lebanese minister assassinated in attack on convoy
By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said.
Gunmen opened fire as his convoy drove through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood, they said. Gemayel, who was in his 30s, was rushed to hospital where he later died of his wounds.
Local television footage showed angry and weeping supporters gathering at the hospital.
The killing is certain to deepen a political crisis pitting the anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah.
"We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place," Saad al-Hariri, son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, said from Beirut shortly after Gemayel was shot dead.
Gemayel, a member of the Christian Phalange Party and industry minister, was the son of former President Amin Gemayel. His uncle Bashir Gemayel was killed in September 1982 after he was elected as president during Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
Pierre, like his father and late uncle, was an opponent of the influence in Lebanon of Syria, who many Lebanese blame for the February 2005 assassination of former prime minister Hariri.
Hariri's son Saad, who is parliamentary majority leader, interrupted a news conference to announce the shooting of Gemayel.
"They want to kill every free person," Hariri said, hinting that Syria was behind the latest killing.
Anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea said on Friday efforts to topple the government could lead to assassination attempts on cabinet ministers.
GOVERNMENT TOTTERING
Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Tuesday his depleted cabinet was legitimate despite the resignation of six pro-Syrian ministers, and warned that any anti-government protests could turn violent.
With Gemayel's death, the resignation or death of two more ministers would bring down Siniora's government.
Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies are preparing to take to the streets to topple Siniora's government, which they accuse of being allied with the United States, arguing that it has lost its legitimacy since Shi'ite Muslims are no longer represented.
The depleted cabinet last week approved draft U.N. statutes for a tribunal to try the killers of Hariri despite the resignations of the pro-Syrian ministers.
Many Lebanese blame Syria for the killing of Hariri in a suicide truck bombing last year. Damascus denies involvement. A U.N. commission investigating the assassination has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian security officials.
Gemayel, elected to parliament in 2000 and again in 2005, is the first anti-Syrian politician to be killed since Gebran Tueni, who was assassinated in a car bomb blast on December 12, 2005.(Additional reporting by Tom Perry and Yara Bayoumy)
Lebanese Cabinet minister is killed By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Pierre Gemayel, an anti-Syrian politician and scion of Lebanon's most prominent Christian family, was gunned down Tuesday in an assassination that heightened tensions amid a showdown between opponents and allies of Syria that threatens to topple the U.S.-backed government.
Gemayel, 34, was the fifth anti-Syrian figure to be killed in the past two years and the first member of the government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora to be slain. A car rammed his vehicle from behind and then a gunman stepped out and shot him at point-blank range, his Phalange Party radio station and Lebanon's official news agency reported.
Footage from the scene showed Gemayel's car, the driver's-side window dotted by about a dozen bullet holes, and the second car behind it with a crumpled hood.
The assassination, in an afternoon shooting in Gemayel's mainly Christian constituency of Jdeideh, threatens further instability in Lebanon at a time when Hezbollah and other parties allied with Syria are planning a massing wave of street protests unless Saniora reforms his government to give them more power.
In Washington, the State Department denounced the assassination as terrorism and an attempt to intimidate Saniora's government. The United States has accused Syria and Iran of plotting to overthrow the government, which is dominated by anti-Syrian politicians.
"We are shocked by this assassination," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters. He said it is very important that those who would use violence to divide Lebanon not be allowed to succeed. "We will give full support to the Saniora government in the days and weeks ahead," Burns said.
Syria also condemned the killing. "This despicable crime aims to destroy stability and peace in Lebanon," the state news agency said, affirming Syria's support for stability, security and unity.
Damascus' opponents in Lebanon have accused Syria of being behind previous assassinations, particularly that of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive explosion in downtown Beirut in February 2005. Syria has denied any role.
Saad Hariri, Rafik's son and leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, broke off a televised news conference after hearing Gemayel had been shot.
In an interview with CNN, Hariri praised him as "a friend, a brother to all of us" and appeared to break down after saying: "We will bring justice to all those who killed him."Hariri implicitly blamed Damascus for the assassination, saying, "We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place."
Pierre Gemayel was a rising star in the party and expected to carry the mantle of the political family. His father, Amin, served as president between 1982 and 1988. His grandfather, the late Pierre Gemayel, led the right-wing Christian Phalange Party that fielded the largest Christian militia during the 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims.
Amin Gemayel was elected by parliament after the assassination of his brother, Bashir, who was chosen president but was killed a few days before he was to take office. The younger Pierre Gemayel was a prominent figure in Lebanon's anti-Syrian bloc, which dominates Saniora's Cabinet and the parliament — and which is now locked in a power struggle with the Muslim Shiite Hezbollah and its allies.
On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah threatened a wave of street protests aimed at bringing down the government if it ignores the group's demand to form a national unity Cabinet, in which Hezbollah and its allies would have considerable influence and would be able to block major decisions.
Nasrallah accused Saniora's government of falling under the influence of the President Bush's administration and called it "illegitimate" and "unconstitutional."
Gemayel's assassination was the first since Gibran Tueni, prominent anti-Syrian newspaper editor and lawmaker, was killed in a car bomb in December. In June 2005, the journalist and activist Samir Kassir and former Communist Party leader George Hawi were killed in separate car bombings in June last year.
Britain 'dismayed' at murder of anti-Syrian minister in Lebanon by Robin Millard
LONDON (AFP) - Britain is dismayed at the assassination of Lebanon's anti-Syrian minister Pierre Gemayel, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has said, claiming it will only increase regional tensions.
"Clearly we condemn it. We are dismayed. There are enough problems in Lebanon already," Beckett told a London news conference Tuesday with her Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. Industry Minister Gemayel was assassinated in a northern Beirut suburb in the latest in a spate of attacks to target anti-Syrian politicians. His car was sprayed with gunfire.Beckett said she hoped it was a one-off incident, saying the international community was looking to see rebuilding in Lebanon rather than further "death and destruction"."Certainly this is the kind of step that can only increase tension in the region rather than lead to greater peace," she said.
Beckett said that if it proved to be a targeted assassination, it "is deeply damaging and cannot be of help and assistance to anyone" in the region.
"Whatever the motives are of the people who carried out this attack, they are not acting in their own interests, let alone anyone else."Beckett said it was too early to comment on suspicions that Syria might be involved in the industry minister's assassination. Livni said: "Also for me, it's too early to say ... of course the negative role of Syria in Lebanon is not something new or top secret. "The news from Lebanon is another example of the kind of region, the kind of neighbourhood we are living in."She described the conflicts in the Middle East as being between moderates and extremists and said the assassination was "just an example of something that we know we are facing".
Syria condemned the assassination, calling it "a crime aimed at destabilising" its neighbour.
Damascus was forced to end nearly three decades of military and political domination of Lebanon in April 2005 after the murder of popular former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, widely blamed on Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies.
Earlier Tuesday however, British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's visit to Iraq as a sign that Damascus was becoming a force for peace and progress in the Middle East. Washington has accused Damascus of turning a blind eye to Sunni Arab insurgents crossing from Syria into Iraq, where US, British and other allied occupation troops are trying to prevent Iraq from sliding into civil war.
The United States, backed by Britain, has condemned Syria for supporting the Islamist radical movement Hamas in the Palestinian territories as well as Shiite Muslim Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Lebanon minister shot dead, Hariri son blames Syria By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday, plunging Lebanon deeper into a crisis that threatens to destabilize the country.
At least three gunmen rammed their car into Gemayel's vehicle, then leapt out and riddled it with bullets, firing at Gemayel with silencer-equipped automatic weapons at point-blank range in the Christian Sin el-Fil neighborhood, witnesses said.
Ten bullet holes were seen around the window of the driver's seat of his grey car. The two front seats were soaked in blood.
The son of assassinated former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri blamed Syria for the killing, but Damascus denied it.
Gemayel, 34, was rushed to hospital where he later died of his wounds. Television footage showed hundreds of angry and weeping family members and supporters gathering at the hospital. Angry protesters in the Christian town of Zahle in eastern Lebanon blocked off streets and shouted slogans against Hezbollah and Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun.
The killing is certain to heighten tensions in Lebanon amid a deep political crisis pitting the anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah, which is determined to topple what it sees as a pro-U.S. government.
"We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place," Saad al-Hariri, whose father Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a suicide truck bombing last year, said from Beirut shortly after Gemayel was shot dead.
"Syria strongly condemns the killing," the official Syrian news agency SANA said. The Shi'ite group Hezbollah also condemned the "low criminal act" and urged an investigation. Gemayel, elected to parliament in 2000 and again in 2005, is the third Lebanese anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated since former prime minister Hariri's killing in February 2005. Gemayel, industry minister, was a member of the Christian Phalange Party founded by his grandfather and the son of former President Amin Gemayel. His uncle Bashir Gemayel was killed in September 1982 after he was elected president during Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
The Christian Phalange party controlled one of the largest militias fighting in the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war.
SELF-RESTRAINT
Pierre, like his father and late uncle, was a strong opponent of the influence of Syria, who many Lebanese blame for the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.
The Phalange Party called on supporters to show self-restraint and foil "attempts to destabilize Lebanon."
Hariri's son Saad, who is parliamentary majority leader, interrupted a news conference to announce the shooting of Gemayel. "They want to kill every free person," he said.U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said it was a "very sad day for Lebanon." "We were shocked by this assassination. We view it as an act of terrorism and we also view it as an act of intimidation," he said.
Anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea said on Friday efforts to topple the government could lead to assassination attempts on cabinet ministers.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Tuesday his depleted cabinet was legitimate despite the resignation of six pro-Syrian ministers, and warned that any anti-government protests could turn violent.
With Gemayel's death, the resignation or death of two more ministers would bring down Siniora's government.
Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies are preparing to take to the streets to topple Siniora's government, which they accuse of being allied with the United States, arguing that it has lost its legitimacy since Shi'ite Muslims are no longer represented.
The depleted cabinet last week approved draft U.N. statutes for a tribunal to try the killers of Hariri despite the resignations of the pro-Syrian ministers.
Many Lebanese blame Syria for the killing of Hariri in a suicide truck bombing last year. Damascus denies involvement. A U.N. commission investigating the assassination has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian security officials. (Additional reporting by Tom Perry and Yara Bayoumy)
Gunmen Target Michel Pharaon's Beirut Office
Gunmen opened fire Tuesday on the office of a minister of state, his office announced, just hours after the assassination of anti-Syrian minister Pierre Gemayel."The office of the state minister for parliamentary affairs, Michel Pharaon, in the Ashrafieh neighborhood was the target of gunshots today from gunmen in a white Suzuki car," it said. "The security forces cordoned off the area and is carrying out the necessary measures to identify the culprits," who fled the scene, it said. Pharaon is a Greek-Catholic Christian MP from the bloc of anti-Syrian parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri.(AFP)
Beirut, 21 Nov 06, 18:49Instability in Lebanon
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Published: November 21, 2006
Following is a timeline of Syrian power in Lebanon, with reporting from The New York Times and Reuters.
APRIL 1975 -- Clashes that are later seen as the start of Lebanon's 15-year civil war erupt in Beirut.
JUNE 1976 -- Syrian troops enter Lebanon to restore peace.
OCTOBER 1976 -- Arab conferences establish a predominantly Syrian peacekeeping force.
JUNE 1982 -- After repeated Palestinian incursions from southern Lebanon, Israel begins a full-scale invasion. The Syrian Army is ousted from Beirut.
SEPTEMBER 1982 -- President-elect Bashir Gemayel was killed when a bomb shattered the headquarters of his Lebanese Christian Phalangist Party in east Beirut. (Go to Article)
MAY 1983 -- Israel and Lebanon sign a peace accord detailing the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
MARCH 1984 -- Under intense pressure from Syria, the Lebanese government cancels its peace agreement with Israel.
MARCH 1989 -- The Maronite Christian leader in Lebanon, Gen. Michel Aoun, declares a ''war of liberation'' against the Syrian presence.
OCTOBER 1989 -- The Lebanese National Assembly takes a step toward ending the civil war by endorsing the so-called Taif Accord, which calls for Syria to pull its troops back to the eastern Bekaa region but does not set a date for a full pullout.
OCTOBER 1990 -- In one of the last moves of the civil war, Syria's Air Force attacks the Lebanese presidential palace, and General Aoun takes refuge in the French Embassy. Through the early 90's, Syrian dominance in the country becomes less overt.
OCTOBER 1998 -- Emile Lahoud, a general who is backed by Syria, is elected president by Parliament.
MAY 2000 -- Israel ends its occupation of southern Lebanon.
DECEMBER 2000 -- In a surprise move, hundreds of Syrian soldiers leave Beirut and settle in the Bekaa region near the border, though thousands still remain in the country.
2003 -- Syria carries out two partial troop withdrawals, in February and July, bringing its force in Lebanon to about 16,000 soldiers, down from about 30,000 troops in mid-2000.
SEPTEMBER 2004 -- Despite criticism from the U.N. Security Council, Parliament bows to Syrian pressure and extends Mr. Lahoud's presidential term by three years.
OCTOBER 2004 -- Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his cabinet resign in protest over Syria's dominant role in Lebanese government.
DECEMBER 2004 -- A united Lebanese opposition denounces the Syrian presence and calls for a new government. Later, Syria for the first time admits the presence of its secret service in Lebanon and says it will dismantle the operation.
FEBRUARY 2005 -- Mr. Hariri and 14 others are killed in a car bombing in Beirut.
JUNE 2 -- Samir Kassir, journalist opposed to Syria's role in Lebanon, is killed in Beirut by bomb in his car.
JUNE 21 -- George Hawi, a former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria, is killed in Beirut by bomb in his car.
DECEMBER 12 -- Gebran Tueni, a staunchly anti-Syrian member of parliament and Lebanese newspaper magnate, is killed by a car bomb in Beirut.
NOVEMBER 21 -- Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is killed by gunmen as his convoy drives through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of Beirut.There's more than one way to restart the peace process
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi's trip to Egypt bodes well for his country's commitment to the Middle East peace initiative unveiled last week in partnership with France and Spain. It has been a long time since Europe attempted to bring its diplomatic influence in line with its economic weight, and the failure of purely American mediation only sharpens the need for alternative strategies. In addition, recent shifts in the American political landscape - including the November congressional elections and the resignation of the US defense secretary - have provided an opening for the EU to assert its role in resolving the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
There is a danger that the European plan will be regarded as too ambitious because it proposes to include so many actors, and indeed, Israel's initial reaction has been to dismiss it out of hand. Even some Arab governments, notably Egypt's, have misgivings about an approach that figures to dilute the positive roles they hope to play in a comprehensive settlement of the conflict. There are valid criticisms to be made from several perspectives, but given the fact that the multiple crises affecting the region are all to some extent connected, it would be wise to include as many actors as possible.
The Middle East has rarely been so unstable as it is today. Apart from the bloodletting in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian infighting, regional crises also include the tragedy in Iraq, the rise of extremism, the showdown over Iran's nuclear program, the power struggle in Lebanon and the urgent need for reform. The intractability of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute has contributed in some way to these and other problems, but these, in turn, also make it more difficult to successfully address that dispute. Common sense therefore dictates that any approach to the conflict be as broad and inclusive as possible.
There are nonetheless some very compelling reasons why Egypt, for example, is concerned that the casting of too wide a net in the search for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement might undermine Cairo's traditional status as a key player. There is no reason, however, why considerations of both perspectives cannot coexist and even combine.In the end, what is most important is that a growing number of international players are investing energy into reviving a peace process. We can no longer afford to take the fatalistic view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a problem that is too impossible to solve. Rather, we should see it as a problem with a number of possible solutions.US wary of Iran, Syria role in Iraq
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration cast a wary eye Monday on signs that Iran and Syria were taking a more active diplomatic role in Iraq, even as debate in the U.S. centered on how many troops to keep in the war.
Just days after reports that U.S. officials were discussing a broader role for Iran and Syria, Iraqi lawmakers said Iranian leaders had invited the Iraqi and Syrian presidents for a weekend summit. A State Department official said that while strong relations between the three countries were encouraged, actions would speak louder than words.
In the past, said deputy spokesman Tom Casey, "while there have been positive statements from the Iranian government about wishing to play a positive role in Iraq, those statements haven't been backed up by actions."
He offered a similar assessment of Syria, saying the problem "is not what they say; the problem is what they do. ... What we would like to see the Syrians do is take actions to, among other things, prevent foreign fighters from coming across the border into Iraq."
At the same time, there have been indications that a special U.S. advisory commission is considering recommendations that could include a broader role in the region by Syria and Iran. The Iraq Study Group, led by Bush family friend and former Secretary of State James Baker and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, is expected to issue its report soon.
One military official close to the group's discussions said that one option could combine encouraging talks with Iran and Syria with shifting the U.S. military focus away from combat and toward training the Iraqi forces.
But members of the commission have expressed concern that working with Iran and Syria could require America "to enter into a de facto partnership with them," with possible trade-offs, said the official, who requested anonymity because the group's discussions have not been made public.
U.S. leaders, meanwhile, continue to debate how long and how many troops to keep in Iraq.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter said Monday that the U.S. needs to push more Iraqi security forces to the front lines. Other Americans, including some military officials, have suggested boosting U.S. troop levels to help train the Iraqis.
President Bush said Monday he wasn't ready to decide between the rival calls for more or fewer U.S. troops on the ground.
Referring to the Iraqi security forces, Hunter told The Associated Press, "We need to saddle those up and deploy them to the fight" in dangerous areas, primarily in Baghdad. Hunter, a California Republican who is interested in his party's 2008 presidential nomination, took a different tack from Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), a front-running 2008 hopeful who has urged that additional U.S. troops be sent.
Separately, a study of options for U.S. military action in Iraq is under way by a Pentagon group set up by Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Washington Post on Monday quoted senior defense officials saying the review is looking at three options — injecting more troops into Iraq, shrinking the force but staying longer or pulling out.
Senior Pentagon officials said Monday that Pace has indicated all options are on the table, ranging from boosting the number of troops in Iraq, even on a temporary basis, to withdrawing a substantial portion of the roughly 141,000 there now.
Pace has asked a group of about 16 military members, largely colonels who have recently served in the Gulf region, to look at what is going right or wrong in the war and to discuss options for progress. The group is not expected to submit a report, but Pace will use any thoughts and options coming out of the review to help develop his own recommendations for the defense secretary and the president.
Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, a military spokesman in Iraq, said Monday that adding more U.S. forces would "achieve a short-term solution, but it's not going to achieve a long-term effect. ... The key to this thing is we have got to get the Iraqi security forces able to operate in an independent manner, on their own." Also on Monday, Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record), a New York Democrat, pushed anew for his idea that the military draft should be reinstated. And he said in a speech at Baruch College that he wants to hold hearings into current troop levels and future plans for Iraq and other potential conflict regions. House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi said reviving the draft would not be on the early legislative priority list for the 110th Congress. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer added, "The speaker and I discussed scheduling and it did not include that."
Associated Press writers Barry Schweid and Anne Plummer Flaherty contributed to this report.
Lebanon braces for power struggle after killing
By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon braced on Wednesday for a bitter power struggle after the assassination of an anti-Syrian Christian cabinet minister which his allies blamed on Syria. Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was gunned down on Tuesday as he drove in a Christian suburb of Beirut, becoming the sixth anti-Syria politician to be killed in nearly two years. Hours later, the U.N. Security Council approved plans for a special international court to try suspects in the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. The action by the 15-nation council, in the form of a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will enable the plans to be submitted to the Lebanese government for its formal approval. Hariri's son Saad and his allies quickly accused Damascus of killing Gemayel in an attempt to derail the tribunal. Many Lebanese blame Syria for killing Hariri.
A U.N. investigation has implicated Lebanese and Syrian security officials in Hariri's murder. Damascus denies any links. It also strongly condemned Gemayel's killing. The assassination is certain to heighten tensions in Lebanon amid a deep political crisis pitting the anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah, which is determined to topple what it sees as a pro-U.S. government. "We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place," Saad al-Hariri, whose father Rafik was killed in a suicide bombing, said shortly after Gemayel was shot dead. Anti-Syrian Druze leader Walid Jumblatt openly accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regarding the Gemayel shooting. "Only the tribunal will deter the killer in Damascus. Bashar is scared. That is why he opted for killing to avoid punishment," he said.
"NO CREDIBILITY"
Syrian Information Minister Muhsen Bilal denied any Syrian link to the latest murder. "Those who accuse Syria in this narrow and defeated manner do not have a grain of truth or credibility... How can they make an accusation at the very first minute?" he said.
Saad later called for a large turnout at Gemayel's funeral on Thursday. "The day we bid farewell to Pierre Gemayel, is the day to defend the international court and justice," he said. Large demonstrations after Hariri's killing forced Syria to end 29 years of military presence in Lebanon in April 2005.
The assassination came after a devastating July-August conflict in south Lebanon between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, which accused the pro-U.S. government of backing its opponents in order to weaken it as a political and military force.
U.S. President George W. Bush led world leaders in condemning Gemayel's murder and he urged an investigation to "identify those people and those forces behind the killing."Six pro-Syrian ministers resigned from Siniora's cabinet this month and with Gemayel's death, the deaths or resignations of two more ministers would bring down the government.
Hezbollah and its allies had been preparing to take to the streets to topple Siniora's government, arguing it has lost its legitimacy since Shi'ite Muslims are no longer represented. A political source close to Hezbollah said Tuesday's murder would force it to revise its plans. A Hezbollah official said the timeline of the protests would now have to be pushed back. The anti-Syrian coalition told supporters to prepare to take to the streets peacefully. Any protests and counter-protests would raise the spectre of confrontations. "I have one wish, that tonight be a night of prayer to contemplate the meaning of this martyrdom and how to protect this country," former President Amin Gemayel told reporters outside the hospital where his son's body was taken. Pierre Gemayel, elected to parliament in 2000 and in 2005, was a member of the Phalange Party founded by his grandfather. His uncle Bashir Gemayel was killed in September 1982 after he was elected president during Israel's invasion of Lebanon. The Christian Phalange party controlled one of the largest militias fighting in the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war.
Assassinated Lebanon politician was star
By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Pierre Gemayel, assassinated on Tuesday, was a rising star in one of Lebanon's most prominent Christian political families, widely expected to carry its mantle into the next generation. He was the fifth member of his family to die violently.
With his boyish looks and often blunt comments, the 34-year-old industry minister was not always taken seriously by Lebanese politicians, some of whom considered him the spoiled son of an influential dynasty.
But Gemayel gained more solid following during six years in parliament. He played a prominent role in rallying Lebanon's youth during the so-called "independence uprising" — a wave of massive anti-Syrian protests that followed the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He became a vocal critic of Syria and its top allies in Lebanon, including President Emile Lahoud and the Shiite Muslim guerrilla group Hezbollah. Born on Sept. 23, 1972, Gemayel is the eldest son of Amin Gemayel, who served as Lebanon's president from 1982 to 1988. He was named after his grandfather, the late Pierre Gemayel, who founded the right-wing Phalange party. The Phalangists brought Lebanon's Maronite Christian community to political prominence in Lebanon. They fielded the largest Christian militia during the 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims, allying themselves first with Syria, then with Israel.
The Gemayel family has been deeply enmeshed in the past three decades of bloodshed between Lebanon's deeply divided communities.
A 1975 assassination attempt against the grandfather prompted Phalangists to attack a busload of Palestinian refugees in what sparked the civil war.
In 1982, Amin Gemayel's brother, Bashir, was elected president, but days before he was to be sworn in, he was killed in a bomb blast — also at age 34. In response, his militiamen stormed Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, killing hundreds of unarmed civilians in one of the worst atrocities of the Lebanon conflict. Several years earlier, Bashir's 18-month-old daughter was killed in an attack targeting him. Two nephews of Bashir and Amin were also killed during fighting in the 1980s. The younger Pierre Gemayel was first elected to parliament in 2000, and then again in the 2005 parliamentary elections that brought an anti-Syrian majority to the legislature.
He became a prominent figure in Lebanon's anti-Syrian bloc, which dominates Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's Cabinet and the parliament. Last year, he earned the wrath of critics — particularly Shiite Muslims — when he said Shiites in Lebanon "may be the quantity, but we are the quality."
Christians constitute an estimated 35 percent of Lebanon's population of about 4 million, down from estimated 55-60 percent before the 1975-90 civil war. The decline is attributed to emigration of Christians and higher birth rates among Muslims. Shiites are believed to be the largest community now with 1.2 million people, and Sunni Muslims are slightly less. Gemayel, often seen wearing sharp suits or stylish checkered shirts, had lately been traveling without a convoy, using ordinary cars as a decoy. He was assassinated by a gunman Tuesday who sprayed his unarmored car with bullets.
Gemayel will be buried Thursday at St. George's Church in downtown Beirut. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Al-Da'if, and two sons.