PrintSeptember 19, 2007
Another Assassination in Lebanon
Another member of the government majority in Parliament has been assassinated.
Phalangist MP Antoine Ghanem was killed when his car exploded in East Beirut on Wednesday:
A 40-kilogram strong car bomb explosion shattered Ghanem's black Chevrolet Sedan as it drove in the plush suburb, killing him and five other people, including his driver and an unidentified person who was sitting next to the slain MP on the back seat of the vehicle.The murder has Syrian President Bashar Assad's fingerprints all over it. A presidential election is scheduled for next week in Lebanon and it is likely that Assad wanted to remind his friends and enemies in Lebanon who is really in charge.
Tongues of flame shot up from the wreckage of Ghanem's car and at least eight other vehicles as fire fighters combated the blaze and ambulances evacuated at least 20 wounded people to nearby hospitals. The powerful explosion, which echoed across the Lebanese capital, shattered glass windows in Sin el-Fil and the plush suburb of Horsh Tabet.
The crime was committed three months after a similar car bomb explosion on June 14 which claimed the life of MP Walid Eido.
Since the president is chosen by parliament, whittling down the majority's forces to prevent them from electing their own man is almost in Assad's grasp. American Thinker contributor Walid Phares pointed this out in June at the Counterterrorism blog:
In January 2006 a majority-MP Edmond Naim, dies of old age. The anti-Cedars revolution pressure brings in Pierre Daccache, “neutral” in principle, but essentially close to now Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun. Since, the majority has 71 seats. In December of 2006, majority-MP Pierre Gemayel is assassinated by Syrian operatives. The number of dedicated MPs falls to 70. Few weeks ago, Syrian threats compel the Alawi MP from the north to quit the majority, bringing the number to 69. Today’s assassination of Sunni Walid Eido, a fierce opponent to the Syrian regime brings the number of MPs to 68. Four more assassinations and the Parliamentary majority in Lebanon would collapse, bringing back Ahmedinijad and Assad’s Terror power to the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean.Apparently nothing. As long as the world stands by and allows Assad to murder anyone he pleases in Lebanon, the democratic experiment there is probably doomed.
What can be done to stop the legislators’ massacre in Lebanon and its dramatic consequences?
