- Title: LEBANON/SYRIA: Bomb kills Lebanese general tipped for army chief
- Date: 12th December 2007
- Summary: (W3) JOUNIEH, LEBANON (FILE - OCTOBER 6, 2007) (REUTERS) LEBANESE GENERAL MICHEL SULEIMAN WITH DEFENCE MINISTER ELIAS AL MURR IN CEREMONY TO MARK THE VICTORY IN NAHR AL BARED CAMP AGAINST ISLAMIST MILITANTS SULEIMAN SALUTING
- Embargoed: 27th December 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,War / Fighting
- Reuters ID: LVABND9X8BNDJM8M0BRLK6AUSP9C
- Story Text: A car bomb killed a Lebanese army general in a Christian suburb of Beirut on Wednesday (December 12), removing a leading contender to replace military chief General Michel Suleiman, who is set to be elected president next week.
The attack heightened tension in Lebanon where rival leaders are embroiled in a struggle over the presidency that has fuelled the biggest political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, head of army operations, and his bodyguard were killed in the early morning blast that hit their car in Baabda, a wealthy area that houses the presidential palace and several embassies.
Hajj was the ninth fatality in a string of assassinations that began with the 2005 killing of ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri.
Lebanese politicians from the Western-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition denounced the attack, as did the United States, France, Germany, Syria and Iran.
A White House spokesman said President George W. Bush would "continue to stand with the Lebanese people as they counter those who attempt to undermine their security and freedom".
Security sources said 35 kg (77 lb) of explosives packed into an olive-green BMW car were detonated by remote control as Hajj's four-wheel-drive vehicle drove by.
Hajj, 54, had been seen as one of two main contenders for the job of army chief, traditionally a Maronite Christian. The post would fall vacant if parliament elects Suleiman president in a long-delayed vote now slated for Monday.
Political and religious leaders said the killing showed the need to reduce tensions by electing Suleiman swiftly. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the military was targeted for its role in preserving the country's security and stability.
That echoed the view of one witness to the attack.
"Today, they targeted General Francois al-Hajj, and the army. As usual, we are used to the fact the Syrian regime wants to kill Lebanon and anyone who is looking after its future," said Mike Wehbe, near the scene of the blast.
No group claimed responsibility for Hajj's killing, which followed eight deadly attacks on anti-Syrian politicians and journalists. The most recent was a Sept. 19 car bomb that killed Christian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.
Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh was among some Lebanese politicians accusing Syria of carrying out the killings.
"We believe that all the institutions of Lebanon, civilian and military, have been targeted by the Syrian-Iranian axis and we link this to the statement by Farouk al-Sharaa, the Syrian vice president yesterday, telling his allies that they were stronger than ever and therefore calling them for attack. We saw how the attack was translated today with a new crime that hit one of the brightest Lebanese officers in the army and a candidate for succession to General Suleiman if General Suleiman is elected as president," Hamadeh said.
Damascus has denied any involvement.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem denounced the "criminal attack" on Hajj, saying: "We condemn any procedure that threatens the security and the stability of Lebanon."
Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, visibly shaken, called on the interior minister to resign. Aoun, whose demands are one of the stumbling blocks in the election, said politcians should not use the killing for their own ends.
"It's a pity, to use a martyr of such calibre to this end. It's a historical shame to talk about this. Let us settle the scores tomorrow,"
said Aoun.
Hajj helped lead an army onslaught on al Qaeda-inspired militants at the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon earlier this year in which 168 soldiers and about 230 Fatah al-Islam fighters were killed.
Villagers raised black flags and army emblems in the slain officer's village of Rmeish in southern Lebanon, where schools closed for three days of mourning. Hajj came from a family of tobacco farmers and was the eldest of 12 children.
The blast wrecked Hajj's car, set others on fire and damaged nearby buildings. Charred metal littered the blackened streets.
The army has stayed largely neutral in Lebanon's political turmoil and is seen as a unifying force.
On Monday, Lebanon's parliament speaker postponed the presidential election to Dec. 17, the eighth delay to the vote.
Pro- and anti-Syrian factions agreed last week that Suleiman should take the presidency, reserved for a Maronite. It has been vacant since the term of Emile Lahoud ended on Nov. 23.
Arab and Western states fear a prolonged vacuum in the presidency could further destabilise Lebanon, where rival camps have accused each other of rearming and training fighters.
Hajj, a father of three, will be buried at his hometown on Friday. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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