Article

2005-02-14 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Former Lebanon PM assassinated in Beirut

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Posted by .com 2005-02-14 07:28|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Update:
MSNBC - 9 dead... Former PM was apparent target.

Posted by .com 2005-02-14 7:33:47 AM|| 2005-02-14 7:33:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 According to Ha'aretz Former PM Hariri's own TV station say's he's dead.

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-14 7:40:34 AM|| 2005-02-14 7:40:34 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 He's dead, ~~Jim~~ Bashir

Posted by Frank G 2005-02-14 8:15:31 AM|| 2005-02-14 8:15:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 So many suspects, where do I start?....well I didn't do it, don't look at me!

Posted by innocent 2005-02-14 8:35:21 AM|| 2005-02-14 8:35:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Update: Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has been assassinated in a car bombing in central Beirut, Tourism Minister Farid Khazen has confirmed. The blast, which reports say killed about nine people, caused widespread damage and left about 20 cars ablaze. The bombing occurred beside the derelict St Georges Hotel, near the city's harbour. It caused a huge crater in the street, and left vehicles smouldering and shop-fronts blown out and blackened. Mr Hariri was on his way back from parliament when his motorcade was attacked near the waterfront in west Beirut.
Mr Hariri has been the leading Lebanese politician since the end of the civil war in 1990, and prime minister for most of the last 15 years. He resigned in October amid differences with Lebanon's pro-Syrian President, Emile Lahoud.
"Nothing personel, Rafik. Just business"

Posted by Steve 2005-02-14 9:10:19 AM|| 2005-02-14 9:10:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 One wonders what Islamic politics must have been like before the discovery of black powder.

Posted by BH 2005-02-14 10:23:28 AM|| 2005-02-14 10:23:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 too early too be sure of anything, but its smells of Syrian involvement. This could be VERY big news.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-02-14 10:23:38 AM|| 2005-02-14 10:23:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 this is the kind of stuff Machiavelli, and the Borgias knew about, more than its got anything to do with Islam per se - if it turns out to be AQ id be very surprised. Could be Hezbollah, acting as front for Syria.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-02-14 10:25:50 AM|| 2005-02-14 10:25:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 One wonders what Islamic politics must have been like before the discovery of black powder.
They'd just wack his head off with a sword. Some things never change, do they?

Posted by Steve 2005-02-14 10:43:05 AM|| 2005-02-14 10:43:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Shalom, who was meeting with French President Jacques Chirac when he heard about the explosion,

Posted by 2b 2005-02-14 11:05:04 AM|| 2005-02-14 11:05:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 No question in my mind it was Syria. I smell pita bread and Bashir's been cooking. End game is to limit US influence in Syria's sphere. They lost Iraq all they have left is Lebanon.

Posted by Rightwing 2005-02-14 11:19:59 AM|| 2005-02-14 11:19:59 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 The sheer scale of the blast suggests military involvement. Never underestimate the suicidal potential of an idiot. Bashar Saddat - the evil moron who's running Syria.

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-14 11:30:26 AM|| 2005-02-14 11:30:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 'Saddat'?! D'oh. Assad...

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-14 11:55:35 AM|| 2005-02-14 11:55:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 I wonder if Assad drafted his condemnation before or after the blast.

Posted by Tom 2005-02-14 12:00:12 PM|| 2005-02-14 12:00:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 I dunno, BD, he may be looking at the Sadat treatment soon.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-02-14 12:11:25 PM|| 2005-02-14 12:11:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 A self-made billionaire. Hariri went to Saudi as a math teacher, saw opportunity and embedded himself, somehow, with Fahd. The latter liked whatever Hariri was providing, set him up in the construction business, and had Hariri's firm gobble up palace-building contracts. Fahd even gave him Saudi citizenship. The guy went back to Beirut and the rest is history. I wonder if there's a good bio of the guy someplace.

Posted by chicago mike 2005-02-14 1:25:41 PM|| 2005-02-14 1:25:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Purported al Qaeda suicide bomber shown on video claiming assassination of Lebanese ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri was identified as Palestinian called Ahmed Abu Addis. Lebanese security agents raided his Beirut home hours after murder.

Muslim, Christian, Druse opposition leaders in Beirut join forces against pro-Syrian government in Beirut and vow not to rest until Syria is out of Lebanon. Rallies in Beirut and Sidon murdered politicianâs home town born.

The Syrian Intel dude that came up with the idea will learn the law of unintended consequences in no time... I am no sure Assad OK-ed it, but if he did, he's an idiot.

I amnot sure how well would it be received by Lebanese that the assassin was one of Paleos. They (Paleos) may be experiencing some "difficulties" from lebanese for some time to come.

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-02-14 2:04:32 PM|| 2005-02-14 2:04:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Continues ...

Enraged Lebanese Muslim, Christian, Druse opposition leaders in Beirut declare pro-Syrian government illegal, blame Damascus for Rafiq Haririâs murder.

Lebanese army, security forces mobilized and deployed at key points in capital and across country. Syrian army ordered to stay in barracks.

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-02-14 2:47:21 PM|| 2005-02-14 2:47:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Cool.

Go ahead, boys, let the other shoe drop...

Posted by .com 2005-02-14 2:53:18 PM|| 2005-02-14 2:53:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 so was the Pal guy for real, or a case of "rounding up the usual suspects"?

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-02-14 2:56:47 PM|| 2005-02-14 2:56:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 LH, he took credit for it: BEIRUT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Lebanese security forces said on Monday they had stormed the Beirut home of a man they identified as a Palestinian who appeared in a video claiming responsibility for the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister.
A Lebanese security source said Ahmed Aboul Adef was not in the house. He had earlier appeared in a video aired by Al Jazeera claiming responsibility for the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri. Hariri was killed by a car bomb on Monday.

Posted by Steve 2005-02-14 3:15:10 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:15:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 Man, being a cop in the ME is, from the investigator POV, a phreakin' breeze! All the bad guys cut videos of themselves. Sheesh! Prosecutor Heaven - assuming they don't die in the act or arrest process, heh.

Posted by .com 2005-02-14 3:18:27 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:18:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 Shalom, who was meeting with French President Jacques Chirac when he heard about the explosion

Just heard on Fox that France joined with US in condemning Syria's occupation of Lebanon in Sept of 04.

Can't help but wonder if the timing of Shalom's visit with Chiraq was an acciden or meant to be a message. But if the latter, message to whom?

Posted by 2b 2005-02-14 3:22:49 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:22:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 oops...Chirac

Posted by 2b 2005-02-14 3:24:07 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:24:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 So does the process of arresting this Palestinian involve the use of a squeegee?

Posted by ed 2005-02-14 3:24:14 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:24:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#26 The powerfully armed motorcade of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was no match for the car bomb that gouged a massive blackened crater into Beirut's gleaming Corniche.
A blast so huge it blew out windows more than one kilometre away ripped apart the Mercedes vehicles like toys and engulfed the car Hariri was driving in fierce flames.

It was a big freeking bomb, and it seems jarred loose a few brain cells....

So advanced was the bomb, security sources said, that it defeated jamming equipment so hi-tech that Hariri's passing convoy would interfere with cell phones and televisions.

Or, it was so low tech it couldn't care less about your jammers, like a guy sitting in the car with a button.

Posted by Steve 2005-02-14 3:26:23 PM|| 2005-02-14 3:26:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#27 Well that was fast, for the video to show up.

I reserve judgement. Its VERY convenient for the govt of Syria for such a video to show up. This guy Hairari was not particularly an enemy of AQ, and its hard to see what they gain by it (yeah i know he was a pal of KSA, but thats a thin motivation, I think) Whereas he was a major threat to Syria.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-02-14 4:03:08 PM|| 2005-02-14 4:03:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#28 Isn't much of the leadership of AQ known to be in Iran, such as the head of the miliary head as well as the bin Laden wives and children? Just doing a favor for their hosts.

Posted by ed 2005-02-14 4:14:38 PM|| 2005-02-14 4:14:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#29 I doubt it has anything to do with AQ, despite what may be on the tape. It simply does not make much sense. The justification would be a real streeeetch.

Most likely candidates that would be inclined to think they would gain:

1. Syria (Army and Security elements, I have doubts that Assad is really such an idiot)
2. Hizbollah pupeteered from Iran

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-02-14 4:59:30 PM|| 2005-02-14 4:59:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#30 Of course this is a Syrian operation. What the Islamic fanatics of the Iranian linked Hizbollah or AQ can provide is the readily available pool of jihadis who will blow themselves up at their master's command. Don't see too many Baathists pressing the auto-hamburger switch. They want their rewards in this world.

Posted by ed 2005-02-14 5:58:27 PM|| 2005-02-14 5:58:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#31 Right, Ed. I concede. :-)

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-02-14 6:14:38 PM|| 2005-02-14 6:14:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#32 I agree with Ed for 3 reasons : 1) the amount of explosives involved - Syrians had to know; 2) extremely popular politician with appeal across religious lines saying "Syria out of Lebanon"; and 3) lots of money to spread around to different political factions and create "reality on the ground" for Syria

Posted by Shieldwolf 2005-02-14 6:56:17 PM|| 2005-02-14 6:56:17 PM|| Front Page Top

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