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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Suspects abound in Lebanon's web of assassinations |
| 2005-07-13 |
| Another day another deadly bomb attack in Beirut. As events in London this week and Israel yesterday show, no country is immune from violence. But in Lebanon it is different. Or so it seemed until yesterday. This latest murderous attack sits ill with the recent bombings and assassinations here, in that for the first time an avowedly pro-Syrian figure has been targetted. But that fact aside it has all the sophisticated hallmarks of earlier attacks. The knowledge of Murr's route is one. As is the fact the bomber knew which convoy to attack - Murr usually deploys two dummy convoys travelling on different routes as part of his security measures. And in addition to Murr's extensive military protection as defence minister, he also employs a raft of private bodyguards. The area where the attack took place is also home to a number of foreign embassies and as such enjoys a good deal of extra security. Like the previous attacks in Beirut, this took some serious planning. Inevitably, a raft of conspiracy theories emerged in the wake of the blast. One is that the attempt on Murr's life was an attempt to silence him - and warn anyone else - that may give incriminating information to UN investigators probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's comments to this effect lose a little significance when he again ties his theory to Lebanon's "political security regime" which he believes is headed by Murr's father-in-law, President Emile Lahoud. More worrying perhaps, is that yesterday's events have even been linked in some circles to the Majd al-Anjar group and their botched attempt to blow up the Italian Embassy, and indeed much else in the vicinity, that was thwarted by the intelligence services during Murr's watch as interior minister. It is a matter of record that Murr worked closely with Western intelligence agencies targetting such groups during this period and of course, that one of their number died in custody while being interrogated. Consequently, more than one Islamist extremist group might have a reason for pressing the button. So like all the other bomb attacks in this country during the last 11 months, suspects are plentiful but arrests are few, while convictions are nonexistent. The trigger-happy people who have been busy detonating bombs here since last October may not be from the same group. But they share the same insane ideology and their impact will just as similar. For what the attempt on Murr's life also has in common with the other attacks, in addition to a scant respect for life, is that it is another attempt to destabilize this country at a time when optimism for the future, despite the usual circus surrounding the formation of the new government, remains high. But for all the stoicism of the Lebanese people, these attacks are gradually bringing large segments of this county to its knees. A large number of tourists have already been scared off. Foreign investment is likely to take longer to wipe its feet before entering too. Lebanon cannot go on like this for much longer. Perhaps having a government might help. |
| Posted by:Steve |