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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Lebanese Defense Minister Says Syrians Threatened Him | |
| 2005-09-27 | |
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Lebanon's defense minister says Syrian intelligence officials in Lebanon threatened him months before an attempt on his life in a July car bombing. The allegation by Elias Murr, who is also deputy prime minister, was the first time that a traditionally pro-Syrian politician in Lebanon has accused Syrian officials of playing a role in the mysterious series of bombings that have occurred in the past year. Speaking by telephone from Switzerland where he is recovering from his injuries, Murr told LBC television channel he had decided to speak out because he has "had enough" after a Sunday bombing maimed well-known TV anchorwoman May Chidiac.
Murr said that last year, while he was interior minister, he had an argument with Syria's intelligence chief in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Rustum Ghazale, after the police had broken a ring of Islamic extremists, including al-Qaida elements, who had plotted to attack diplomatic missions in Beirut. Ghazale's intelligence apparatus then controlled almost every aspect of Lebanese political and military life. Murr left the Cabinet in October, but in January he got a warning. "I received information about personal threats," he told LBC in the interview, which was broadcast late Monday. Murr did not identify the source of the threats, but the context made clear he was referring to Ghazale. Journalists have no access to Ghazale, as is the case with Syrian military intelligence officers. He has been in Syria since late April, when Syria withdrew its military from Lebanon. Syria has denied any involvement in the series of bombings, which it has condemned. In April, Murr returned to the Cabinet. A new government was formed as the Syrians withdrew in the face of mass demonstrations and international pressure after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February. On July 12, Murr's car was heavily damaged by a bomb that detonated in an adjacent car on a road near his house. He received moderate wounds, but his two aides were seriously injured and the driver of a third car was killed. The attempt to kill Murr ran against the trend of the bombings, which tended to target anti-Syrian personalities or Christian districts, which are strongholds of anti-Syrian sentiment. Murr comes from a political family that has traditionally been allied with Damascus. He is the son-in-law of President Emile Lahoud, Syria's top ally in Lebanon. Sunday's attack on Chidiac provoked wide indignation in Lebanon. Students protested Monday on two campuses and in a downtown Beirut. Interior Minister Hassan Sabei warned of a "terrorist plot" to destabilize the country and acknowledged the government was finding it difficult to break the chain of attacks. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said a team of U.S. experts was expected to arrive Tuesday in Beirut to help the investigation into Sunday's bombing. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 Maybe Syria needs some hard core love. |
| Posted by: closedanger 2005-09-27 23:28 |
| #1 this is very interesting. Very. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-09-27 16:18 |