View Full Version : Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel Assassinated


Phoenician Empire
November 21st, 2006, 06:16 PM
Lebanon Industry Minister Gemayel Is Killed in Beirut


http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/4459/20061121t160010z01lbn01qz7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


By Daniel Williams and Dania Saadi

Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, an anti-Syrian politician, was shot dead in an ambush in Beirut, raising tensions in the politically divided nation.

Lebanese television showed pictures of the windows of Gemayel's silver sedan riddled with bullets. Al-Arabiya television reported that three gunmen in a four-wheel drive attacked his motorcade at about 3:30 p.m. today. Gemayel, 34, was driving the car in the northern Christian neighborhood of Jdeideh, when one of the gunmen shot him at point-blank range.

The death of Gemayel, a Maronite Christian and son of a former president, coincides with a government power struggle. Among the stakes are Lebanon's participation in a United Nations tribunal to prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Syrian security officials are among the suspects.

The National News Agency quoted Hariri's son, Saad, as blaming today's death on Syria. ``Syrian hands are behind the killing of Pierre Gemayel,'' Hariri said.

``We do not want revenge. We want the Lebanese cause to be victorious,'' said Gemayel's father, ex-President Amin Gemayel, who appeared in front of television cameras and a shouting crowd of supporters. ``I want this night to be a night of prayer and to think about the meaning of martyrdom.''

`Destabilize'

Samir Geagea, who leads the Maronite Christian Lebanese Forces party, said, ``the goal behind the crime is to blow up the international tribunal and destabilize Lebanon.''

The conflict in Lebanon pits the March 14 coalition of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora against opposition forces allied with Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim party and militia. Hezbollah's cross-border raid into Israel triggered last July's war with the Jewish state.

On Nov. 11, Hezbollah and allies walked out of the cabinet just before the government adopted a UN plan to try Hariri suspects. Hezbollah pledged to topple Siniora.

Syria condemned Gemayel's killing, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported on its Web site, citing an unidentified information ministry official.

``This heinous crime is aimed to destabilize Lebanon and its civil peace,'' the official said, according to SANA. ``Syria is keen to maintain Lebanon's security, stability, unity of its people and its civil peace.''

Israeli Reaction

In Israel, Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said by telephone, ``it's a terrible thing when people in the opposition think they can solve political problems by killing their opponents.''

The U.S. considers the murder ``an act of terrorism,'' Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters in Washington. ``We have to redouble our efforts and those of our friends in the Arab World as well as in Europe to support the Siniora government.''

French President Jacques Chirac said he ``learned with horror and consternation'' of the killing and hoped that ``the assassins are tracked down and punished,'' according to a statement e-mailed by his office.

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the killing underlines the ``absolute and urgent need for a strategy for the whole of the Middle East'' and for solving conflicts worldwide.

`Heavy Price'

``Lebanon is again paying a heavy price for its desire to live in peace and independence,'' European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in a statement.

``It's a catastrophic event. Pierre Gemayel was a rising hope and we were counting on him,'' said Rashad Salameh, deputy head of Gemayel's Phalange party, a Maronite political group. In early evening, Phalange supporters burned tires in front of the group's Beirut headquarters.

Gemayel was a member of the March 14 political bloc that coalesced after the Hariri assassination. The bloc, named for demonstrations that took place a month after Hariri's car bomb killing, dominates the current parliament and Siniora's cabinet.

Pierre Gemayel's father, Amin, has been outspoken against Syrian occupation of Lebanon and the continuation of Hezbollah's armed militia. Amin Gemayel heads the Phalange Party.

Pierre's uncle, Bashir Gemayel, was killed in a massive 1982 Beirut bombing widely blamed on Syria. Bashir Gemayel was about to assume Lebanon's presidency in the wake of Israel's invasion of the country that year to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization.

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Williams in Cairo at dwilliams41@bloomberg.net Dania Saadi.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=av51jF5LU5dw&refer=home


INSTANT VIEW-Reaction to killing of Lebanon's Gemayel




LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday.

Following are reactions to the news.

U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH:

Bush, in Honolulu, strongly condemned Gemayel's assassination and called for a full investigation into his death. The investigation should "identify those people and those forces behind the killing."

UNITED NATIONS:

This cold-blooded murder was carried out one day after the Security Council considered the report on the establishment of the special tribunal for Lebanon. The secretary-general reiterates that such acts of terrorism undermine Lebanon's stability, are unacceptable and have no place in a democratic and open society. The perpetrators and instigators of today's attack must be brought to justice to ensure an end to impunity.

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER ROMANO PRODI:

Prodi reaffirmed Italy's commitment as part of the U.N. peace mission and noted that the whole of the international community had condemned the "terroristic act".

"This signals the joint commitment to bring dialogue and peace back to the Middle East, and isolate every form of extremism and barbarism".

AMIN GEMAYEL, FORMER LEBANESE PRESIDENT AND PIERRE'S FATHER:

I have one wish, that tonight be a night of prayer to contemplate the meaning of this martyrdom and how to protect this country.

I call on all those who appreciate Pierre's martyrdom to preserve his cause and for all of us to remain at the service of Lebanon. We don't want reactions and revenge," he said.

LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER FOUAD SINIORA:

This attack against a symbol of freedom in Lebanon... makes us more determined to set up the international court, the tribunal that would stop the criminals and is the means to protect all Lebanese.

SAAD HARIRI, SON OF MURDERED LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER RAFIK HARIRI, SPEAKING TO CNN

The cedar revolution is under attack... Today one of our main believers in a free democratic Lebanon has been killed. We believe the hands of Syria are all over the place.

The people of Lebanon will not give up on the international tribunal. This will make them even more determined. We will bring justice to those who killed Pierre Gemayel.

LEBANESE PRESIDENT EMILE LAHOUD:

I tell you that this ugly terror act will not be allowed to pass without discovering the perpetrators. Those criminals are against all Lebanese people.

U.S. UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE NICHOLAS BURNS

This is a very sad day for Lebanon. We were shocked by this assassination. We view it as an act of terrorism and we also view it as an act of intimidation.

We will give full support to the Siniora government in the days and weeks ahead, to support that government, to support its continuation.

OFFICIAL SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY (SANA):

Syria strongly condemns the killing. This is a crime aimed at destabilising Lebanon. Syria is careful about preserving Lebanon's security, unity and civil peace.

FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC'S OFFICE:

The President of the Republic learned with horror and dismay of the murder of Mr Pierre Gemayel... In the name of France, he condemns this heinous attack most strongly and expresses the wish that the assassins should be pursued and punished.

It (France) stands alongside Lebanon in support of the full implementation of the Security Council resolutions, notably for the creation of an international court (to try Hariri killers).

EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA:

Those responsible for this cowardly attack from another age must be found and tried. Lebanon has yet again paid dearly for wanting to live peacefully and independently.

AHMED MELLI, MEMBER OF PRO-SYRIAN HEZBOLLAH PARTY IN LEBANON, SPEAKING TO AL-JAZEERA TELEVISION.

We strongly condemn and denounce this killing. It was carried out by those forces who want to harm the future of Lebanon.

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER TZIPI LIVNI, IN LONDON:

The news from Lebanon is another example of the kind of region, the kind of neighbourhood we are living (in). This is another support for what I tried to explain before: this is between moderates and extremists.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR:

We condemn this murder utterly. This is completely without any justification at all. We need to do everything we can, particularly at this moment, to protect democracy in Lebanon and the premiership of Prime Minister Siniora.

JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH:

We strongly condemn this ugly crime. This is a cowardly act that targets the security and stability of Lebanon.

The Lebanese have to unify their ranks at this phase and not allow the preachers of death, disunity and destruction to succeed in creating a split in the cohesion of the Lebanese people.

EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK:

We call the Lebanese parties to engage in dialogue for the interest of Lebanon. There should not be any differences, in order not to lose Lebanon.

ALI HASAN KHALIL, A LEBANESE MP FROM THE PRO-SYRIAN AMAL GROUP, TO AL ARABIYA TELEVISION:

This is a crime against Lebanon, all of Lebanon. This is a crime that we condemn ... It represents a form of terrorism.

This (killing) represents a warning to all parties in Lebanon that there are hands that do not want Lebanon's interest.

FINISH PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION:

The Presidency of the European Union condemns in the strongest terms the brutal assassination of the Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

The Presidency urges all parties to refrain from activities that would further endanger the political stability of Lebanon ... (and) reiterates the EU's full support to the legitimate and democratically elected Lebanese government.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21819088.htm




Coup d'etat underway in Lebanon?
Tuesday, 21 November, 2006 @ 8:16 PM


By Omar Raad,
Ya Libnan Volunteer
Beirut - The assassination of Pierre Gemayel means that two more ministers need to resign or be killed in order to bring down the anti-Syrian government.

As if one assassination were not enough bloodshed for one day, the murderers proceeded to target another anti-Syrian Member of Parliament - Michel Pharaon.

Syria's allies in Lebanon are planning to take the streets on Thursday to demand the government resign. The pro-Syrian allies in Lebanon include Hezbollah, Michel Aoun's political party and Nabih Berri's Amal movement.

Syria behind violent overthrow?

As documented in the U.N. investigation, Syria has openly threatened Lebanese politicians who dare to defy their orders. The Syrian regime has been determined to block the international U.N. tribunal at any cost, including the cost of stability in Lebanon.

Just hours after killing Gemayel, gunmen opened fire on the office of a minister of state.

"The office of the state minister for parliamentary affairs, Michel Pharaon, in the Ashrafieh neighborhood was the target of gunshots today from gunmen in a white Suzuki car," according to a statement by the minister's office.

"The security forces cordoned off the area and is carrying out the necessary measures to identify the culprits," who fled the scene, it said.

Pharaon is a Greek-Catholic Christian MP from the bloc of anti-Syrian parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri.

Brother, niece and son died for the cause

The father of Pierre Gemayel a Lebanese anti-Syrian minister who was killed today urged supporters to remain calm and avoid retribution. "I have one wish, that tonight be a night of prayer to contemplate the meaning of this martyrdom and how to protect this country," Former President Amin Gemayel told reporters outside a hospital where the body of his son Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was taken.

"I call on all those who appreciate Pierre's martyrdom to preserve his cause and for all of us to remain at the service of Lebanon. We don't want reactions and revenge," he said.

"My brother died for the cause, my niece died for the cause and now my son died for the cause."

In a speech by the Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, he called for all Lebanese to come together "to defend the security and their country."

He continued, adding: "To your beloved parents, to your wife and children, and to all your friends and to all the freedom loving people, I promise you your blood will not be shed in vain.

On behalf of the government, my brother, my friend and colleague, the minister the young Pierre Gemayel, give my regards to Rafik (Hariri) and all his companions. Say hello to Samir (Kassir), George (Hawi), Gebran (Tueni), and all those freedom loving people, and tell them they did not die in vain, but they died for the homeland, and you have joined them today.

Walid Jumblatt visited the hospital and made a short statement amid anti-Aoun and anti-Nasrallah chants. He affirmed that the international tribunal is coming and warned against civil strife. "They want to create civil strife... We will triumph. We will not let them drag us to sedition," he said.

"As we were on that great day (March 14) with Pierre in the lead, peaceful and democratic for Lebanon, we will remain," he added.


http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2006/11/coup_detat_unde.php

Phoenician Empire
November 21st, 2006, 06:17 PM
GOD BLESS PIERRE GEMAYEL

Ramazzotti
November 21st, 2006, 06:37 PM
God Bless him, Rest in peace !!! where are we heading to ???

CrazY
November 21st, 2006, 07:04 PM
oh man , i was just watching that on the news !! it like on every channel,, anyway god rest his soul.....

everybody is like angry, and tension is everywhere after this, i wish every to calm down and think before they do something ......

Nadini
November 21st, 2006, 07:33 PM
This is what we just need, just great!! :bash: whats worse tomorrow is Lebanon's Independance day, let's see what will happen

lebgurl
November 21st, 2006, 08:22 PM
^^ yea the celebrations have been canceled
RIP Pierre Gemayel.. god bless him and his family (haram he has like 2 very young kids)...
his dad was just on TV, the poor guy is completely numb :(

Beiruti
November 21st, 2006, 08:32 PM
RIP

God Bless him and his family.

The TRUTH is coming dont worry...

nareg
November 21st, 2006, 08:43 PM
God Bless him.
We all know the TRUTH. Let us just wait till the real criminals go to jail.

Tripolis
November 21st, 2006, 08:44 PM
This is extremely troublesome for those who wish to see a free and democratic Lebanon… God Bless his soul…

let's not forget the offices of Michel Pharaon have been shot at as well.

lebgurl
November 21st, 2006, 09:22 PM
the truth should come soon ... but I doubt it will ... if the gunmen felt secure enough to ram the car, walk up to his car in broad daylight, shoot him, get into another car while ditching their own and driving away ... then something's up and u KNOW someone's protecting them .. and the rest of us will never know the truth :(

CrazY
November 21st, 2006, 09:29 PM
i think your right lebgurl, how can a minister drive a kia !! and no bulletproof glass, and they recieved a death list from sources, and he didn't have any army or police personels to protect him or give him help !! ... i heard that the ambulance was late :s

grzes
November 21st, 2006, 09:59 PM
^^ (to both Lebgurl's and Crazy's replies) There is an awfully strong smell coming from Lahoud right now.... the tribunal will be setup and hopefully, inchalla, ALL the Syrian influence (Syrians in Lebanon specifically to destabilize the country) in Lebanon will be ratted out and brought to justice.

+SP+ Pierre Gemayel

CrazY
November 21st, 2006, 10:02 PM
LOL im CrazY, not Krazy ;p hes another dude hehe

btw im not an expert in lebanese politics, but i cant see how lahoud will benefit from all this !!

Shayan_m
November 21st, 2006, 10:09 PM
Oh what a shameful act !!! May he rest in peace.

I feel sorry for his wife and kids, my deepest condolences to them.

grzes
November 21st, 2006, 10:09 PM
LOL im CrazY, not Krazy ;p hes another dude hehe

btw im not an expert in lebanese politics, but i cant see how lahoud will benefit from all this !!

fixed :)

Gilgamesh
November 21st, 2006, 10:11 PM
Poor Lebanon, never gets a proper chance to stabilize and prosper...

lebgurl
November 21st, 2006, 10:21 PM
i think your right lebgurl, how can a minister drive a kia !! and no bulletproof glass, and they recieved a death list from sources, and he didn't have any army or police personels to protect him or give him help !! ... i heard that the ambulance was late :s

well the car he was using wasn't the gov't provided one .. nor was it his bulletproof one .. his Kia is a car he personally uses for errands ... and ironically he was coming back from a funeral or memorial or something.
and he had two body guards with him, but ur right his army personel weren't with him. and actually the ambulance wasn't late ... there was no ambulance :D someone put him in his car and drove him to the hospital which was like 2 blocks away.

I wanna c the rest of that list, does anyone know where it is or who else is on it?

Lebanese Cedar
November 21st, 2006, 10:47 PM
The UN Security Council has just approved the international tribunal:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21426961.htm

Hopefully justice will be served, but I'm not optimistic.

Allah yer7amou...

Unfortunately Lebanon is a cursed country. It has always been a playground for foreign players and seems cursed to be so...

Jayme
November 21st, 2006, 10:50 PM
its so sad :( me and my Parents are upset

CrazY
November 21st, 2006, 10:54 PM
i think heard the list was like with the government now, before the assassination ! they didn't say how was on it, until now they said that Pierre Gemayel was on the list....
anyway i think like most of political party leaders/members or activists are on some kind of death list made by someone, or some country :S

Jayme
November 21st, 2006, 10:57 PM
he has been to my unlces house he and my unlce were close

zouz
November 21st, 2006, 11:02 PM
God rest his soul in peace. LEt's try to keep his family, friends and colleagues in our prayers who knew him personally... Lebanon will find peace and stability eventually, us Lebanese will never giv up on that hope this country deserves, but unfortunately it continues to come at an extremely heavy price...

Tripolis
November 21st, 2006, 11:11 PM
well the car he was using wasn't the gov't provided one .. nor was it his bulletproof one .. his Kia is a car he personally uses for errands ... and ironically he was coming back from a funeral or memorial or something.
and he had two body guards with him, but ur right his army personel weren't with him. and actually the ambulance wasn't late ... there was no ambulance :D someone put him in his car and drove him to the hospital which was like 2 blocks away.

I wanna c the rest of that list, does anyone know where it is or who else is on it?


I hate to bring this up, but we all know that a bulletproof car wouldn't have helped, no matter how technologically advanced it may have been...

I have an exam in an hour... not sure I can concentrate enough to write it!:ohno:

lebgurl
November 21st, 2006, 11:47 PM
I have an exam in an hour... not sure I can concentrate enough to write it!:ohno:

u wont .. i just bombed a quiz :bash:

the sad thing is that when u really think about it, SOOO many ppl can benefit from his death that justice will never even come close to catching the perp:
- Syria: another anti-syrian dead
- palestinians : same as above
- Hizbulla/Amal: read the news from the last 3 weeks, they need to kill 2 more ppl from the cabinet and the gov't falls
- Franjieh family: long lasting hate/feuds and LOTS of bloodshed over the years
- LF: old blood feuds, but HIGHLY unlikely since Gemayel senior is a revered hero for LF
- Israel/Iran: added further instability which can only serve in the interest of both (im gonna get it for putting Israel and Iran in the same category .. BRING IT ON!!)
- March 14th: they just united all over again and their probs are now behind them because they have a common enemy ... and they were starting to lack that motivation and unity
- Lahoud/Aoun: I just hate those bastards!

Shayan_m
November 22nd, 2006, 12:10 AM
^^ Bring on what ?! U are free to think whatever u want lebcutie.

grzes
November 22nd, 2006, 12:12 AM
^^ expanding on the last 2

March 14th : As lebgurl said, this will act as motivation. But this time, the job will be finished and hopefully Syrian politics will be out of Lebanon forver.

Aoun/Lahoud : Lahoud's guilty. Everyone knows that. (I don't want to talk about the implications of getting him involved in this.)

Btw, welcome to the club Dayana ;) (I hate quizzes on chapters you haven't even read yet)

Shayan : She's right about the government, not the people :)

Bikes
November 22nd, 2006, 12:26 AM
Poor guy, i never heard his name before, but i feel sorry for him and Lebanon.

Canasian
November 22nd, 2006, 01:13 AM
Let's brace ourselves and hope it won't get worsse...i'm worried, though

LeB-iT
November 22nd, 2006, 02:51 AM
i was extremely shocked when i heard this :( i liked this guy, he was so young...let's hope the consequences of this aren't severe

Nadini
November 22nd, 2006, 03:39 AM
Well this will hurt for the people who were travelling to the country for this race, can't get a refund for their tickets, hopefully everything settles down and God Bless Him

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1567/dsswy7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Hassoun
November 22nd, 2006, 06:17 AM
THE BASTARDS WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE SOON.

This is unacceptable,SYRIAN REGIME is the umber 1 suspect here.they need to kill one or two more ministers and the governement falls.also syria's suuporters in lebanon are number 2 suspects.they should have helped in stabilising the country and not provide the political tension that led to such a crime.
R.I.P Mr. PIERRE :( god bless u,ur family,and all who REALLY love LEBANON.
HAPPY INDEPENDENE DAY.

Hassoun
November 22nd, 2006, 06:27 AM
yesterday's morning,he was in bekfaya honouring his late grandfather on lebanon's independence day occasion :(

http://www.almustaqbal.com/issues/images/2453/C1-N2.jpg

gulfexpress
November 22nd, 2006, 06:31 AM
Tragic. I hope this wont spiral things further, especially just when things were starting to cool down. I'm glad that his family (his father hours after his death) annouced and pleaded for calm.

gulfexpress
November 22nd, 2006, 06:33 AM
Well this will hurt for the people who were travelling to the country for this race, can't get a refund for their tickets, hopefully everything settles down and God Bless Him

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1567/dsswy7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

slightly off topic, but I cant see the pic, what kind of race are you talking about?

Hassoun
November 22nd, 2006, 06:33 AM
yes,this is good,nothing bad or tragic will happen like a civil war or something,it's a red line.
But pple who r responsible for this,must be brought back to justice.

Hassoun
November 22nd, 2006, 06:34 AM
It's the Beirut international marathon,4th edition.

crazyeight
November 22nd, 2006, 08:04 AM
This is insanity! RIP.

Herzeleid
November 22nd, 2006, 03:07 PM
wow very sad news indeed, but 2 questions, i canT understand how a lebanese person can support syria insted of his own country, can one of u guys explain that to me, and second lebgurl why israel would want this, so the anti-israeli guys get in power and keep sh!ttin israel and looking for more wars?? :ohno:

Lirtain
November 22nd, 2006, 08:35 PM
May God bless his soul

Tripolis
November 22nd, 2006, 09:06 PM
wow very sad news indeed, but 2 questions, i canT understand how a lebanese person can support syria insted of his own country, can one of u guys explain that to me, and second lebgurl why israel would want this, so the anti-israeli guys get in power and keep sh!ttin israel and looking for more wars?? :ohno:

It is really is a simple answer... let me give you an example in how politics work.
Anybody running for a seat in office, is required to raise money for their campaign. Corporations and wealthy individuals support a particular candidate, in return for certain expectations/ favors after they get elected. The elected representative might be able to approve a corporation stalled project, push to reduce their corporate taxes, and son on…

Now here in Lebanon, the President of the Country was given his position UNCONTESTED.
Assad and Co went as far as amending the Lebanese constitution to keep Lahoud as President... I think it is his duty to submit to Syrian demands.

Hassoun
November 22nd, 2006, 09:12 PM
His funeral will show how lebanese are united against neighbours who don't want a free strong lebanon.

Audiomuse
November 22nd, 2006, 09:39 PM
RIP. :(

Beiruti
November 22nd, 2006, 09:53 PM
Lebanon slaying deepens Christian political rift



Wed 22 Nov 2006 15:39:06 GMT


By Tom Perry

BEIRUT, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The slaying of a Lebanese Christian minister has cornered leading Christian politician Michel Aoun, his alliance with the Syria-backed opposition enraging many who blame Damascus for the killing.

Presidential hopeful Aoun, leader of the largest Christian bloc in parliament, was one of the first targets of anger after the killing of Pierre Gemayel on Tuesday. Aoun posters were burned in Christian areas and his offices were targeted.

"We let them hang Aoun's picture here. We thought, OK, he's a Christian like us. But yesterday was enough. This doesn't happen to Pierre Gemayel," said Annie Yacoubian, 26, in Christian east Beirut. "They took them down and burned them."

Aoun was one of the loudest voices against Syrian involvement in Lebanon during more than a decade of exile in France, where he fled after losing a battle with Syrian forces at the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

The withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon last year let the former general return home, where he received a hero's welcome from tens of thousands of supporters.

But he made a political about-turn this year by striking an alliance with Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran. That put him at odds with the anti-Syrian majority including Lebanon's main other Christian parties.

Gemayel's allies immediately blamed Syria for his killing -- the fourth slaying of an anti-Syrian figure since Rafik al-Hariri was killed in February 2005. Syria condemned the assassination.

"I don't think Aoun will come out of this looking good," Lebanese commentator Michael Young said. "Aoun has already many people questioning his strategy.



"DEAL WITH THE DEVIL"

"He still has his supporters. But whatever shows the Syrians or their allies in a negative light doesn't make Aoun look good."

Aoun's alliance with Hezbollah and its ally Amal has provided the Shi'ite-led opposition with a strong Christian seal of approval. Aoun has joined Hezbollah in calling for a change of government.

"Aoun wants his special relationship with Hezbollah to give him the non-Christian support necessary to be president," said historian Kamal Salibi. "If he loses his street, he'll be much less use to Hezbollah."

But switching to the side of the anti-Syrian majority might not be an option for the bespectacled politician. "If he switches allegiances, who is going to make him president?" Salibi asked.

Lebanon's parliament is due to elect a new president some time before the end of September. The post is reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon where government posts are allocated along religious lines.

Aoun, like other Lebanese leaders, called for calm after the assassination. He was one of the immediate targets of rage.

Supporters of Gemayel's Phlange Party and Samir Geagea's Christian Lebanese Forces tried to attack an office of Aoun's party in the Christian town of Zahle. They were restrained by security forces and calls for calm from their local leaders.

"Aoun has no morals. He's a traitor to Christians. He's making a deal with the devil to reach the presidency," said Eliya Azzar, a Geagea supporter in east Beirut.

Sitting in a square where Lebanese Forces and Phalange flags fluttered from lampposts, he predicted clashes between Aoun supporters and other Christians. Fighters loyal to Aoun and Geagea battled each other towards the end of the civil war.

"You have lots of radicals in Christian areas. You have lots of gangs. The assassination is the spark for coming clashes," he said.



© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

lebgurl
November 23rd, 2006, 08:34 AM
???? ??????: ???? ???????? ?? ????? ???????

I forgot to translate
Amin Gemayel: Lahoud and Nasrallah have not given any condolences

grzes
November 23rd, 2006, 06:30 PM
???? ??????: ???? ???????? ?? ????? ???????

I forgot to translate
Amin Gemayel: Lahoud and Nasrallah have not given any condolences

Expected from those two clowns :bash:

Jayme
November 23rd, 2006, 09:33 PM
Thousands farewell Gemayel

A SEA of mourners chanted angry slogans against Syria's Lebanese allies overnight as Beirut paid its last respects to cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, the latest Damascus opponent to be murdered.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g240/Jamie_Y/0531412300.jpg



host of dignitaries, many with tears in their eyes, attended the service at the Maronite Catholic Cathedral of St George, while hundreds of thousands of ordinary people outside castigated neighbouring Syria, who many here hold responsible for Mr Gemayel's murder.

Foreign envoys, including French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy and Arab League chief Amr Mussa, joined the mourners for Mr Gemayel, the sixth critic of Syria to be assassinated in the past two years.

Mr Gemayel and his bodyguard, Samir Shartuni, were killed in a Beirut suburb in broad daylight on Tuesday, when gunmen shot them at point-blank range after ramming their car.

Priests chanted prayers as Mr Gemayel and Mr Shartuni's coffins were carried into the church to the traditional applause from the congregation. Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, head of the Maronite church, to which Mr Gemayel belonged, led the service.

During the ceremony, a Jesuit priest read a message from Pope Benedict XVI who condemned the “unspeakable” assassination and called for unity in Lebanon.

Pallbearers had struggled to make their way into the cathedral amid the huge crowds in nearby Martyrs' Square which voiced their rage at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese allies - President Emile Lahoud and Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

“Get Bashar's agent out of Baabda,” the crowd shouted in reference to the presidential palace.

Mr Lahoud's opponents question his legitimacy after his term of office was extended for three years in 2004 through a controversial Syrian-inspired constitutional amendment.

“We want only the army to bear weapons,” the mourners chanted, referring to Hezbollah's persistent refusal to lay down its weapons in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions following the devastating summer war with Israel.

Supporters of the beleaguered pro-Western government had called for the funeral to be turned into a huge show of national defiance and the mourners covered the heart of the capital in red-and-white Lebanese flags.

Young men stamped on portraits of Mr Lahoud and his Syrian and Iranian counterparts, Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the principal backers of Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“Nasrallah, come and see who is the majority” in Lebanon, the crowd chanted.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20813304-663,00.html

CrazY
November 23rd, 2006, 09:33 PM
i didn't like sa'ad ilhariri's speech !!

Jayme
November 23rd, 2006, 09:40 PM
Lebanon braces for renewed turmoil

Tom Perry, Beirut
November 24, 2006

AS LEBANON prepares to lay to rest its latest murdered politician, supporters of the beleaguered pro-Western Government are vowing to turn the funeral into a massive show of public outrage.

The funeral is set to be an outpouring of anger against Syria, which Pierre Gemayel's supporters blame for his assassination. Syria has condemned the killing and denied any involvement.

Thousands of Lebanese army soldiers and police were deployed as Beirut came to complete standstill last night, with shops, schools, banks and government offices closed to allow people to take part in the burial procession.

Mr Gemayel, 34, was shot dead in Beirut on Tuesday in the sixth killing of a high-profile anti-Syrian figure in less than two years, in a country in which many regional conflicts and rivalries have been played out in the past few decades.

Leading members of Lebanon's ruling majority have also blamed Damascus for the Industry Minister's killing, seeing it as an attempt to derail plans for an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

A United Nations inquiry into the killing has implicated Lebanese and Syrian security officials, though Syria denies involvement.

Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militia group backed by Syria and Iran, accuses Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's cabinet of being pro-US.

The UN Security Council has quickly approved a Lebanese Government request for UN help in investigating the Gemayel killing.

Anti-Syrian Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea called on Lebanese to attend the funeral of Mr Gemayel — a Maronite Christian and the son of former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel.

The funeral service was to be held overnight Melbourne time at a church in central Beirut in the area where mass protests after Mr Hariri's assassination helped build international pressure on Syria to withdraw troops from Lebanon.

Mr Jumblatt said Mr Gemayel's murder marked a resumption of political killings. "It seems the Syrian regime will continue with the assassinations," he said.

Anti-Syrian leaders say the aim is to try to weaken a government opposed to Damascus' influence in Lebanon and which took power after the withdrawal of its troops.

The Government, one of whose priorities is to shepherd in the UN-sanctioned tribunal into Mr Hariri's assassination, will fall with the resignation or death of two more ministers.

The cabinet has already been weakened by the resignation of six ministers from the Syrian-backed opposition who quit after the collapse of all-party talks on giving them a decisive say in government.

US President George Bush phoned Mr Siniora and pledged to support "Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria", a White House spokesman said.

A senior US official said the Bush Administration planned to give the Siniora Government more military aid and other support to sustain solidarity with Lebanon.

"In the budget process we are looking at more funds, considerably more (for military aid)," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/lebanon-braces-for-renewed-turmoil/2006/11/23/1163871549751.html

eklips
November 23rd, 2006, 11:12 PM
For the lebanese forumers who can read french, what do you think about this article?

[/QJeux de barbouzes au Liban

Par M. Saâdoune,Le Quotidien d'Oran, 22 novembre 2006

L'assassinat de Pierre Gemayel, ministre libanais de l'Industrie, est un acte indéniablement terroriste qui intervient à un moment délicat de polarisation politique au Liban. L'empressement de Washington - et certains de ses clients libanais - à désigner la Syrie souligne d'emblée l'enjeu géopolitique de la situation au Liban.

Mais cela n'empêche pas de noter, froidement, que Damas n'avait, dans le contexte libanais actuel, aucun intérêt à commanditer un tel crime. Le gouvernement pro-américain de Siniora, détenteur d'une majorité très relative, déjà affaibli par la démission des ministres du Hezbollah et d'Amal, risquait d'être emporté par la décision de l'opposition de recourir à la rue pour obtenir un gouvernement d'union nationale ou la tenue d'élections législatives anticipées.

Ce meurtre n'est donc nullement lié, quoi qu'en disent les médias occidentaux, compulsivement antisyriens, à l'examen par le Conseil de sécurité du projet de tribunal international sur l'assassinat de Rafic Hariri. Il est à lire comme une tentative de bloquer la décision politique de l'opposition de recourir pacifiquement à la rue pour faire tomber le gouvernement.

La décision du Hezbollah et de ses alliés de recourir à des manifestations politiques pacifiques est un acte politique majeur de l'après-guerre. Il met le gouvernement de Siniora, dont la constitutionnalité est désormais fortement contestée, dans une situation intenable. Le Front de l'opposition, articulé autour du Hezbollah, regroupe un spectre politique et communautaire très large. C'est ce caractère pluriel, populaire et national de l'opposition antigouvernementale qui est ciblé par cet acte de stratégie de la tension destiné à provoquer la confusion et à créer, par la violence, une situation d'instabilité qui légitimerait une intervention étrangère. On voit mal la Syrie, que l'on présente comme une puissance machiavélique, commettre un acte contre ses propres intérêts.

Mais on distingue très clairement le profit qu'Israël et d'autres puissances, qui agissent ouvertement sur la scène libanaise, peuvent en tirer. La guerre d'agression israélienne a montré que la ligne de fracture politique au Liban est entre pro-américains et anti-impérialistes. La bataille politique interne a des dimensions internationales directes. La chute du gouvernement Siniora serait un échec de plus pour les Etats-Unis après l'impuissance d'Israël à liquider la résistance libanaise. Or, ce gouvernement Siniora est dans une position fragilisée, politiquement très amoindri. Dans l'opposition, on retrouve, aux côtés du Hezbollah, de nombreux dirigeants sunnites, mais aussi des leaders chrétiens de poids comme le général Michel Aoun et Soleimane Frangié. Soumis à de fortes pressions, ces deux hommes ont fait preuve de caractère et ont refusé de renier leur alliance nationale et l'objectif d'un gouvernement d'union démocratique ou de législatives anticipées.

A défaut d'avoir pu amadouer les leaders chrétiens d'opposition, l'objectif est clairement de semer le trouble dans leurs bases. En ciblant un ministre chrétien des Phalanges, on cherche à casser la popularité des leaders chrétiens d'opposition en provoquant un réflexe communautaire et à forcer l'opposition à renoncer aux manifestations de rue. C'est l'exercice pacifique du droit démocratique de manifester qui est ciblé par cet acte barbouzard destiné à manipuler la «rue chrétienne», dans un Liban où les services étrangers agissent en force et avec des collusions locales.