An anti-Syrian politician has been killed in a bomb blast in the Lebanese capital Beirut, police say. George Hawi, the former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, died when the blast destroyed his car in the Wata Musaitbi district of the city.
Mr Hawi is the second anti-Syrian figure to die in Beirut this month. The attack comes a day after the anti-Syrian bloc gained a majority in Lebanon's elections, the first since Damascus ended its 29-year occupation.
Anti Syrian you say? Who'da thunk it...?
Additional: Lebanese minister of justice Khaled Qabbani said that the explosion which claimed the life of the former secretary general of the Lebanese communist party George Hawi today in Wata al-Mseitbeh area in Beirut was controlled by remote control. Security sources expected the explosive to have had been placed under Hawi's seat in the car. Witnesses said that the car completed its running after the explosion for 300 meters and they heard the driver shouting and then he jumped from the window, injured, while George Hawi's was suffering great damage in his stomach. The witnesses added that Hawi was alive the moment he was taken out of the car, but he died immediatly after because his injuries were very grave.
Worthy mentioning that Hawi was an opposition for the policies of the Lebanese government and some of Syria's policies. However, he was known for his moderate attitude in calling for a new phase of reciprocated respects between the two states. |