 Lebanese opposition leader Walid Jumblatt and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir stood together to receive condolences alongside the sons of assassinated former Premier Rafik Hariri at his Qoreitem residence in Beirut on Tuesday. The unprecedented show of solidarity from the two most prominent opposition leaders came as the former premier's family told the Lebanese government to stay away from the funeral, and that relatives would not allow the event to be turned into a state occasion. "The family does not wish the government to attend the funeral," one family member told The Daily Star.
| Golly. I wonder who they blame for his death? |
Underlining this breach with the government, which opposition politicians have alleged was behind the murder, Hariri's family refused to answer telephone calls from Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh, a Hariri security source told The Daily Star. Fouad Siniora, a former finance minister and close Hariri colleague, said the family has "categorically and definitively refused" that Wednesday morning's funeral be organized by the state. He nonetheless said he expected "a massive public turnout" and demanded that authorities ensure people's security and safety.
| I suspect that's going to be the case. |
In the midst of grief mixed with emotional protests and political exploits, opposition leaders reiterated their claims that Syria was behind the murder - escalating an already tense standoff with both Damascus and the pro-Syrian Lebanese government. After a meeting at Hariri's family home, the anti-Syrian opposition hardened its stance and called for the government to resign and for Syrian troops to quit Lebanon before the May parliamentary elections. In a statement issued at Qoreitem, Jumblatt, the leader of the Democratic Gathering, said: "The present government had declared that Hariri, (myself) and the rest of the opposition leaders were traitors and Israeli collaborators. By this logic, murdering us one by one became permissible."
Calling the assassination "a crime against humanity," Jumblatt called for an "international force" to protect and safeguard the Lebanese people, who "do not feel safe in a Syrian or Lebanese police state."
| Sorry, Wally. Been there, done that. If we come back, we'll be there for a thorough housecleaning. Maybe the Frenchies would like to throw in a few of their marines? |
Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Mrad hit back at Jumblatt, saying: "The Lebanese people did not permit Jumblatt to speak on their behalf. We stick with the [1989] Taif Accord, which regulates Lebanon's relations with foreign countries."
| Pretty impolitic for a politician, though that's pretty much the usual level of discourse in Lebanon... |
Beirut MP Mohammed Qabbani, a member of Hariri's parliamentary bloc, was more conciliatory, saying: "Under this roof, conflicting points of view were freely exchanged. We heard statements from Hizbullah's deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, a statement of U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman and from Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam." Feltman again called for an international investigation into Hariri's death to "find the guilty and punish them." Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared to favor such a move. During his Ashoura speech he said: "We don't object to getting foreign help with the investigation, but it should remain under the control of the Lebanese government."
| "That's so it can be... ummm... controlled." |
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