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Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006
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Pierre Gamayel, the anti-syrian current lebanese minister of industry, and the son of former lebanese president Beshir Amin Gamayel, was just assassinated. Shot in the head, pointe blank, on the streets of Beirut. Here is a yahoo news piece on this breaking news:
Prominent anti-Syrian Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was
assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, his Phalange Party Voice
of Lebanon radio station reported.The shooting will certainly heighten the political tension in
Lebanon, where the leading Muslim Shiite party Hezbollah has threatened
to topple the government if it does not get a bigger say in Cabinet
decision-making.Gemayel was rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the Lebanese
Broadcasting Corp. and the Voice of Lebanon, the Phalange Party
mouthpiece reported. The party later announced that he was dead.Gemayel, the minister of industry and son of former President Amin
Gemayel, was a supporter of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority,
which is locked in a power struggle with pro-Syrian factions led by
Hezbollah.
It seems like Hezbollah's vow to topple this government one way or another has taken a new and deadly dimension. They will of course deny any involvement, and quite possibly blame the jews for it, but their game is getting tired. This could literally mean War on the streets of lebanon, since the Phalanges will seek revenge and a huge segment of the lebanese population who have had it up to here with Hezbollah may start targeting Shias immedietly.
This will turn really ugly really fast!
Update: Mustapha has a theory to why Pierre got killed!
Samir Geagea, another Christian anti Syrian leader had warned
a few days ago that the Syrians and their Lebanese supporters are
attempting to assassinate two sitting ministers to complement the 6
that resigned, so that the government will be automatically dissolved…
RIP Pierre!
Update: Sleiman Ferngiah, one of the main pro-syrian figures in Lebanon, has just accused March 14 of killing Gamayel
Update: Another Lebanese Minister from the March 14 bloc, Michael Pharaon, had an attempt on his life houres after Gamayel got assasinated, when gunmen opened fire at his Al Ashrafieh office. He is a greek catholic.
Update: Abu Kais has lots of updates on the situation:
Tomorrow is Lebanon's independence day.
Update. Angry crowds are gathering outside the St Joseph hospital and chanting anti-Aoun and anti-Hizbullah slogans. As Anton Effendi said,
this assassination guarantees that any street protest now will devolve
into clashes. The Kataeb party, of which Gemayel is a member, is
calling on people to excercise self restraint.With this assassination, March 14 has lost a member of parliament
and a cabinet minister. For the Assad regime, one less March 14 vote
means one less vote to ratify the international tribunal.The eyes now are on the UN Security council, which must endorse the international tribunal as soon as possible
Update 2. Syrian-installed president Emile Lahoud
has canceled the November 22nd independence day celebrations to mourn
the loss of what he now referred to as a minister. Not long ago, he
considered Gemayel and the rest of cabinet illegitimate following the
resignation of the Shia ministers and the pro-Lahoud minister.Meanwhile, Interior minister Ahmad Fatfat has accused Syria of standing behind Gemayel's assassination.
Update 3. Geagea has called on Lahoud to resign
immediately, accusing him of acting as a cover for the terrorist
attacks. He also called on the Amal and Hizbullah ministers to return
to the cabinet.Update 4 (11am EST). The crowds outside the hospital are calling on people and March 14 to take to the streets.
Meanwhile, gunmen have fired shots at the office of another March 14 minister, Michel Faraoun in Ashrafieh.
It looks like March 14 is under attack.
March 14 leaders will meet tonight to decide on a course of action.
There is more. Go read it all.
Update: Rita from Rampurple has a desperate plea to all lebanese.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:03 pm
I wonder where this puts Aoun? If sectarian trumps alliance will he still support Hizb’Allah?
November 21st, 2006 at 3:20 pm
[...] Rantings of a Sandmonkey is carrying the Yahoo news story that the Lebanese Minister of Industry, Pierre Gemayel, has been assasinated. Pierre was anti-Syrian. Guess that made him a target. From the Yahoo article: Gemayel, the minister of industry and son of former President Amin Gemayel, was a supporter of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, which is locked in a power struggle with pro-Syrian factions led by Hezbollah. [...]
November 21st, 2006 at 3:33 pm
And the idiots, including the numb-nuts that I try to support, Mr. Bush, want to have tripartide talks with Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
Just freaking steamroll Syria and Iran, and get it over with.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:40 pm
I see UNIFIL are doing their job.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:43 pm
They did Steven - they observed! Also known as overwatch. Also known as covering fire.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:44 pm
Notice how Iraq and Syira are strenghting ties. That also means Iran. Lebanon is going to fall because it can not stand on its own feet, Israel is not strong enough to keep Lebanon alive, and the international community wants this to happen.
November 21st, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Mustapha’s theory seems to have a lot of merit. From the other Leb blogs I read it seems that the Syrians only need to knock off two more ministers. This prevents Lebanon from forming a governmental quarum and thus effectivly dissolves the Leb government.
As one commenter put it - this is politics, mafia style.
November 21st, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Small correction SM:
Bachir was Pierre’s uncle. His dad is Amin, who succeeded Bachir after his assassination.
Hamako
November 21st, 2006 at 4:25 pm
RIP Pierre, this is a horrible travesty.
That said, do I hear people calling Pierre a hero of the phalangist movement? Why? Because he got assassinated? Or because he moved into self ‘exile’ in Europe?
For what it’s worth, I have nothing against Peirre, he was probably a nice family man living in the shadows of his dad and uncle controlling a modest government portfolio. His uncle by the by, was the protagonist of an ugly, bloody era in lebs history. I cant believe he is cited as being one of the modern day heroes of the lebanese christians. Sabra and Chatilla anyone? Fair enough, the Palis fucked things up in Leb, but destroying two refugee camps whilst killing scores of civilian women and children (and then pinning the actual, physical killing on the IDF, who surrounded and then sanctioned the killing) is beyond me. Heroes of the middle east everyone.
November 21st, 2006 at 4:33 pm
I was waiting to see what Assads next move would be, I thought he was going to try and take back the Golan Heights. Taking back Lebanon seems to be an easier choice.
November 21st, 2006 at 4:44 pm
“Sabra and Chatilla anyone?”
Bashir had just been assasinated when that happened. Not one soul in the Gemayel family had anything to do with that event in any way.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:06 pm
Politics, mafia-style. Sums it up in the best way possible.
Anonymous Leb, just to continue from the last Hezbollah-related article, does it still look like just a little political arm-twisting now? You have my sympathies though, Lebanon’s near future doesn’t look good.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:10 pm
My theory is that it’s more of an attack on Syria than Lebanon. Syria and Iran have improved relations with the US these days. Saad Hariri has been ranting about Syrian involvement in previous assasinations the last few days. It seems too much of a coinciedence. Seems to me that someone REALLY wants to see the downfall of Syria at any cost.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Pleas for peace are sensible and I’m not criticizing the feelings behind them. But Hizballah has been rearming and planning for this takeover for years. Due to Arab-Muslim reaction after the last war Nasrallah thinks his popularity will allow him to take over Lebanon without much reaction. The assassination of a Christian is intelligent because now he can appeal to the brother v. infidel angle.
Nasrallah is an evil genius.
Now UNIFIL can stand between Israel and any aid to anti-Hizballah groups. France and Hizballah: meant for each other.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Ha Ana Za,,
I totally agree with you people want to point a finger at Syria at any cost.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Ha Ana Za, I really don’t see any improvement in US & Iran/Syria relations at all. By the way, who’s this “someone” you mention? Why do I expect it to be Big & Little S***n, as usual? That’s really quite a joke to suggest that Syria’s somehow the target & victim in this, but is pretty typical in the APU.
As soon as I saw this, I knew it’s related to Hezbollah’s attempts to bring down the government, then I read here that if they assassinate 2 more to compliment the 6 resigned ministers, the govt. automatically falls. It doesn’t get much more obvious than that. Syria’s off the hook in the Hariri investigation if Hezbollah gets in the government.
Why can’t somebody assassinate that forked tounge pig devil Nassrallah? No offense meant towards forked tounge pig devils, of course.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Puniqe,
Bachir was assasinated by then, you are right, it ws Hobeika running that show. Nevertheless, Hobeika was acting on behalf of his party, founded by Pierre Sr., and largely popularized and led by Bachir thereafter. Bachir is known to have had a ruthless militia behind him everywhere he went, you should know that if you were able to find out that he was assasinated 1 month before sabra&Chatilla.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:39 pm
Actually I was thinking more of someone within Syria itself i.e. the old gaurd rather than your idea of baby satans LOL
What’s more is that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Hizbollah was in on the act as well. It’s a well known fact that Syria’s old gaurd have never liked Bashar and that he has a tebuous hold on power if indeed any. Since the Damascus Spring they’ve been racking their brains to get rid of him. get with the times!
November 21st, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Twosret - so who do you think stands to benefit from this if not the Syrians or Nasrallah? I don’t think anyone thinks Israel or the USA were involved so that only leaves a random madman. They are quite convenient for blaming when Christians get attacked in the ME. In the unlikely event of anyone being caught for this I’d back the madman card being played. It lets everybody off the hook and if he is killed while being arrested all the better.
In the meantime, the bookies’ favourite is a Syrian Government hitman.
November 21st, 2006 at 6:44 pm
“Actually I was thinking more of someone within Syria itself i.e. the old gaurd”
“so who do you think stands to benefit from this if not the Syrians or Nasrallah?”
/raises hand
Oh oh oh me!
Iran benefits from this latest diversion. Of course it’s all at the behest of Israel since you know, all of this ME crisis stuff is their fault.
November 21st, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Just in case I have to say it:
/sarcasm off
November 21st, 2006 at 6:49 pm
In regards to Sabra & Shatila, it occured 2 days after Bashir Gemayel was assassinated and Elie Hobeika took that initiative not under the party’s name in any way. Also, Elie Hobeika was a traitor to Bashir Gemayel and he plotted Bashir Gemayel’s assassination. The Gemayel’s condemned Sabra & Shatilla.
It is sad for you to link Pierre Gemayel’s name with such crimes. Pierre was only 34, which means he was 18 when the war in Lebanon ended in 1990, and only 10 when Sabra & Shatila occured.
For those who commented on this topics, I don’t know if you are Lebanese or not, but shame on you if you are. The man’s blood is not dry yet …
November 21st, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Ha Ana Za, that’s actually not a bad guess.
Well, so much for peace in our times!
November 21st, 2006 at 6:56 pm
“Puniqe,
Bachir was assasinated by then, you are right, it ws Hobeika running that show. Nevertheless, Hobeika was acting on behalf of his party, founded by Pierre Sr., and largely popularized and led by Bachir thereafter. Bachir is known to have had a ruthless militia behind him everywhere he went, you should know that if you were able to find out that he was assasinated 1 month before sabra&Chatilla.”
It was Hobeika on his own with 200 of his own men. And Hobeika was a Syrian collaborator who openly went over to the Syrian side a few years later when Samir Geagea kicked him out.
But yeah, the Christian militias were sometimes very brutal. So was every other militia, and most were worse. That’s civil war for ya…
November 21st, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Dan,
Seriously tho… sarcky comments asides, how exactly does Syria benefit?
November 21st, 2006 at 7:12 pm
They benefit (rather Assad benefits) if the international tribunal process is derailed. The March 14 forces are loosing votes as fast as their members can be assasinated. With Amal and Hizb abstaining (their Ministers withdrew from the cabinet) Lahouds government cannot reach quarum and vote (I think this is the case - knowledge of Leb governmental structure is shaky). Heck, they kill off two more and the government can be dissolved.
Without the international tribunal the U.N. cannot bring to light what the rest of us already know in our hearts - that Assads regime in Syria was responsible for Hariri’s death.
Anton at Across the Bay says all this a lot better than I can:
Syria has a primary objective that outweighs everything else: kill the Hariri tribunal, and redominate Lebanon at any cost. This is nothing short than a fight to the death for the Syrians. And, as these thugs have done throughout their bloody history, they will kill anyone.
Of course he’s a Ph.D. candidate in this area - I’ve only a BS in History with a ME concentration.
November 21st, 2006 at 7:18 pm
That’s a very persuasive argument…thanks for taking time for explaining your point of view. I’ll check Anton’s site out
November 21st, 2006 at 7:19 pm
EDIT:
That would be BA in History ….
November 21st, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Thanks Ha Ana Za
It could simply be that Nasrallah may think the time is ripe for regime change, what with UNIFIL providing a blocking force in South Leb,
Who knows really. All we can do is speculate while Leb citizens suffer through another round of violence.
November 21st, 2006 at 7:27 pm
As I say…I do think that Syria has more to lose from such a move than it could ever gain and it does seem to me that Nasrallah is crazy enough to spark things up again in hope of a regime change in his favour.
As you say though…we can just speculate and it is the Lebanese who will suffer as they always have whilst the others just look on. It’s utterly heartbreaking considering it was beginning to get back on its feet before Hariri was assasinated.
November 21st, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Across the Bay: http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/
ditto what that guy said.
November 21st, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Lest we forget, if the world is focused on Lebanon, it is not focused elsewhere, for instance on Iran.
November 22nd, 2006 at 7:10 am
Yeah, but we have to focus on Lebanon at the moment.
Whats important is that we keep our eyes on Iran aswell.
November 22nd, 2006 at 5:10 pm
A reader of my blog sent me an email asking “cui bono” as to why the Syrians were involved. My response:
The Syrians have a very long record of interfering in Lebanon’s economy and
political affairs, and it is in their PERCEIVED interest [however poorly
conceived] to stir the pot in that country, which they regard as irredentist
territory, because of several reasons.
It takes the Syrian people’s mind off their own imbecilic government, it is an
attempt to try to keep the Lebanese cabinet from participating in the UN
Investigative Inquiry, an attempt to push the Hezbollah agenda in order to get
Iranian support, and because various factions supporting Assad in Lebanon,
including its demented Prez Emile L, actually want Syria back in control of
Lebanon, or at least an active player. Last, but not least, the Syrians made a
lot of money by interfering in Lebanon before, and think they can do it again.
Therefore, a very deluded Syrian leadership probably thinks it is its own good,
and because it believes it can get away with it. Think of it as a mafia
syndicate, with Bashar Assad as the capo di totti capiti. Don’t necessarily
regard the present Syrian leadership as rational actors. As an FT columnist
said prophetically two years ago, this younger Assad tends to overplay his
hands.
November 23rd, 2006 at 4:09 pm
[...] ACCORDING TO PLAN: Lebanese Minister Assassinated.. “This comes as the UN is set to approve the intl. tribunal today to send it back to Lebanon to be ratified. It also comes at the same time as Hezbollah and the other Syrian agents prepare to take to the streets for a coup d’état to protect the Syrian regime from the tribunal”; Hezbollah’s offensive in Lebanon has begun, by Dr. Walid Phares …. (pajamasmedia, sandmonkey) [...]
March 3rd, 2007 at 1:11 pm
America is mystery Babylon: http://deanberryministries.org
Oh, and don’t forget, neocons are really just pseudoliberals. That’s what the paleocons believe.
Read it for yourself.
July 5th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
God bless his soul - http://www.lebanese-forces.org