Lebanon’s former PM Hariri blames Assad for Beirut bomb amid world condemnation

Friday, 19 October 2012

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri (L) accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) of being behind the huge car bomb that rocked central Beirut. (Reuters)

By Al Arabiya with Agencies

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday of being behind the huge car bomb which killed senior Lebanese intelligence official Wissam al-Hassan in central Beirut.

Asked by Future Television who was responsible for the killing, Hariri replied: “Bashar Hafez al-Assad,” giving the full name of the Syrian president. Hariri’s father, Rafik al-Hariri, was killed seven years ago in a bombing which his supporters blamed on Damascus and Hezbollah, according to Reuters.

“Who killed Wissam al-Hassan is as clear as day. Certainly the Lebanese people will not be silent over this heinous crime and I, Saad Hariri, promise that I will not be silent,” he said.

A powerful car bomb in Beirut on Friday killed Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan, who was linked to the anti-Damascus camp in Lebanon, further raising tensions over the war in the neighboring country.

A government official said Hassan, was among the 8 dead -- in one of the highest-profile killings since the 2005 murder of former premier Hariri.

Lebanon’s opposition March 14 bloc said it held Prime Minister Najib Mikati responsible for the death of Hassan and called on his government to resign.

Mikati was responsible “for the blood of Wissam al-Hassan and the blood of the innocents who died” in the bombing, the group said in a statement. “This government must go, and the prime minister is asked to present his resignation.”

Lebanon’s powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is closely allied to Assad’s regime, described the attack as “an attempt to destabilize Lebanon and national unity,” in a statement on its al-Manar television.

The opposition, which is pitted against Hezbollah and Damascus, accused the Syrian president of staging the assassination of General Hassan.

Opposition politician Samir Geagea said Hassan “moved around with exceptional security measures” and had sent his wife and children to Paris because he “knew he was a target.”

Exporting Syrian conflict to Lebanon

The ISF played a central role in the arrest in August of former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha, who has close links to Damascus and was charged with planning attacks in Lebanon and transporting explosives.

The agency was also deeply involved in seeking the arrest of those responsible for a host of attacks and assassinations between 2005 and 2008, starting with the Hariri assassination.

Friday’s blast occurred only 200 meters from the headquarters of the Christian party, the Phalange, which is also anti-Damascus.

No one claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Phalange MP Nadim Gemayel quickly accused Syria of orchestrating it, according to AFP.

“The Syrian regime is no stranger to such explosions. This is a political blast par excellence,” Gemayel told LBC television. “This regime, which is crumbling, is trying to export its conflict to Lebanon.”

Geagea, head of the right-wing Lebanese Forces, also pointed the finger at Damascus, saying Hassan was targeted “because he arrested Samaha.”

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi, meanwhile, condemned what he called a “terrorist, cowardly” attack, saying such incidents “are unjustifiable wherever they occur.”

The incident has touched off painful memories of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and the political unrest that has troubled post-war years, much of it linked to Syrian influence in the country.

Worldwide condemnation

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bomb explosion in the heart of Beirut and called for the incident to be thoroughly investigated and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Ban called on all Lebanese parties not to be provoked by this heinous terrorist act and to maintain their commitment to national unity.

On Thursday, Ban expressed grave concern about the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon and said the country must not be “drawn into regional turmoil.”

Among many concerns expressed in a report to the Security Council he mentioned “politically motivated assassination attempts.”

The United States, meanwhile, condemned the deadly car bombing in Beirut as an act of terrorism.

“There is no justification for such violence,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “It was a car bomb. We have no reason to believe it was not terrorism. We condemn this act of terrorism.”

The Vatican strongly condemned the attack in Beirut.

“The attack in Beirut deserves the strongest condemnation for its absurd murderous violence,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement, adding that the attack was “contrary to efforts and commitments to maintaining peaceful coexistence in Lebanon.”

“It is to be hoped that this horrible event will not be an excuse for increased violence,” Lombardi said. Instead, “Lebanon should represent, as the pope has said repeatedly, a message of peace and hope for its people and those of the entire region.”

Pope Benedict XVI, during a visit to Lebanon in September, called on the international community, especially Arab countries, to work to resolve bloody conflicts in the region, notably in Syria.

French President Francois Hollande said that Lebanon’s politicians must stay united and prevent attempts to destabilize the country.

“The head of state calls on all Lebanese politicians to maintain unity in Lebanon and protect it from all destabilization efforts no matter where they come from,” Hollande’s office said in a statement.