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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Groups Demand Lebanese President Resigns
2005-06-24
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - The anti-Syrian coalition, fresh off its election victory, blamed Lebanon's president Thursday for the assassinations of several opponents of Damascus and demanded his resignation. The demand points to what will likely be a bitter confrontation between President Emile Lahoud, a staunch Syrian ally, and the new government to be formed, which will be dominated by the anti-Damascus alliance. Lahoud has vowed to fight any attempt to remove him.

The coalition leaders demanded the dismantling of the close links between the Lebanese and Syrian security agencies, which they say are behind the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, of journalist Samir Kassir in early June and of politician George Hawi this week. Lahoud is "ensuring protection to the existing security and political system and ... is responsible for all its practices," the coalition said in a statement Thursday after a two-hour meeting of its newly-elected legislators and other figures.

"The terrorist cycle .... can be brought to an end only ... by the president stepping down and by dismantling the intelligence structure," it said.

Lahoud and the Syrian government have denied any role in the killings.
"Lies! All lies! Hey, how come no one believes us?"
The coalition, which won a majority in the parliament that will be installed next week, also called for a U.N. team that is already investigating Hariri's slaying to expand its probe to uncover the killers of Kassir and Hawi. It said those killings - as well as a failed attempt in October to kill legislator Marwan Hamadeh - appeared to be "one crime by one decision by one perpetrator."

Thursday's meeting came amid fears that other anti-Syrian figures might be targeted for rejecting Syria's domination of Lebanon. Walid Jumblatt, a senior figure in the alliance, urged his Druse followers in Lebanon's central mountains to remain calm if he is killed.
Taht shouldn't be hard.
Posted by:Steve White

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