The sniper killing of Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel threatens all members of the democratic regime there. Nobody is safe. Rick Moran, whose coverage of Lebanon is excellent, thinks that Syria is likely to be behind the killing, bot Hezb'allah's Nasrallah.

I doubt whether Nasrallah himself knew in advance. He doesn't want civil strife. He's willing to threaten it but when it comes right down to it, he would prefer to swallow Lebanon whole rather than pick up the pieces after a ruinous civil war. [....]

No. This attack has Syria's stink all over it. It's exactly the kind of crude message that Syria sent by assassinating Rafiq Hariri; oppose Syria and you die. I'm not sure what this will mean politically. Too many boxes within boxes to sort out.

Thomas Lifson   11 21 06