 At least seven people were reported wounded in the latest blast to hit a Christian area east of Beirut in 12 days. The blast detonated in the underground car park of Broumanna's Rizk shopping center at 9:45 p.m., hitting yet another of Lebanon's commercial centers. A dozen cars were destroyed as the explosion ripped through the surrounding area, shattering windows and setting several cars on fire, reducing them to blackened hulks of twisted metal. "What do they want with us? Why don't they leave us alone? We just want to live in security," said Marie Aswan, who lives in an apartment across the road from the shopping complex.
| And they just want to rule you... |
The bomb, the fourth in less than two weeks, has severely damaged Rizk Plaza, causing fires to rage in the clothing stores and furnished apartments above. People were being evacuated through windows and from balconies, as heavy rain fell to smother the fire, leaving behind a thick cloud of black smoke. In the hours that followed, the blast was judged to be the least damaging of the recent explosions. But the incident indicates a shift in modus operandi, as Broumanna is the first residential area to be targeted. Broumanna is known to be a popular destination for Gulf Arabs who vacation here all year round. The bomb was planted in a car in the center's underground parking lot, a few meters away from an Internal Security Forces' patrol. Residents reported hearing the explosion, followed by the wailing of ambulances rushing to the bomb site. Leading opposition member Walid Jumblatt immediately accused the Lebanese security services of being behind the explosion. In a live interview with the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera, Jumblatt said: "They know that their days are numbered, therefore they are trying to terrorize the people, but the people will not surrender, they will not bow."
| I think Wally's probably right. The booms are pretty transparent, politically, and the list of suspects is pretty short: the Lebanese security guys, the Syrians, or Hezbollah — which basically all boils down to the same suspect. Though I suppose it could be the Iranians, working through Mugniyeh, though that's still the same terror structure. |
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