You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria denies involvement in murder of Lebanon MP
2007-09-23
Syria on Saturday rejected as ‘baseless and without proof’ accusations by Lebanon’s ruling coalition that Damascus was behind Wednesday’s killing of Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem. The anti-Syrian MP was killed by a car bomb in a Beirut suburb less than a week before Lebanon’s parliament is due to elect a new head of state to replace the pro-Damascus incumbent Emile Lahoud.

Syria’s Information Minister Mohsen Bilal, in a statement published on Saturday, said: ‘Accusations made against Syria by the forces of March 14 (the ruling coalition), which are linked to a foreign plan, are allegations without foundation and lacking proof.’
"Da witnesses is all dead!"
In his comments in the government newspaper Tishrin, Bilal added: ‘Syria does not intervene in any way in Lebanese internal affairs. It works for entente between all Lebanese in favor of a president who would represent them all, because Syria is in favor of Lebanon’s security, stability and unity.’

The accusations that Damascus was behind Ghanem’s killing came from Saad Hariri, head of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. ‘The one who killed Antoine Ghanem and his companions ... is the enemy who wishes evil on Lebanon and Syria and who wants to divide still more the two countries and sabotage initiatives aiming at Lebanese national harmony. This enemy wants to sow chaos in Lebanon to enable external plans to be achieved in the region,’ the minister said.

Ghanem, 64, is the eighth anti-Syrian personality to be killed since the February 2005 killing of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.

Syria’s state news agency SANA on Wednesday ‘strongly denounced the explosion that killed Lebanese deputy Antoine Ghanem and other Lebanese citizens.’

According to Ahmad Hussein a local analyst," this cannot be just a coincidence . None of those murdered is pro-Syrian, " Hussein said.
Kinda jumps right out and grabs you, doesn't it?
As with regards to a proof of Syria's involvement Hussein added " Syria is too afraid of the proof . Just look what Syria has done in Lebanon against the International Tribunal, thru its Hezbollah led allies. The purpose of the Tribunal after all is to find and prosecute the criminals behind the Hariri assassination and the crimes that followed."

Hussein added : "Few therefore will buy Syria's denial of involvement in Ghanem's murder. In fact Syria's ally Hezbollah celebrated the murder in downtown Beirut (where they erected tents since November last year) with fireworks. Other parts of Beirut witnessed similar celebrations by Hezbollah, despite the fact that like Syria Hezbollah has also condemned the assassination."
Posted by:Fred

#1  It may be true Assad had nothing to do with the murders in Lebanon, as Hezbollah is running the show with or without his permission. I still think Mugniyeh was behind Rafik Hariri's murder and Hezbollah and AQ working in conjunction for some time now.
Posted by: Danielle   2007-09-23 13:52  

00:00