Killing of Lebanon politician a blow to reconciliation
The killing of a Lebanese politician in the first such attack against a pro-Syrian figure jeopardises national reconciliation efforts already undermined by deep rifts between rival factions.
Saleh Aridi, a senior member of the Lebanese Democratic Party, was assassinated in a car bombing late on Wednesday in his hometown of Baysur, southeast of Beirut.
A security official said the bomb, made of 700 grams (about 1.5 pounds) of explosives, was placed under his car. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Six people were also slightly wounded in the attack, which was condemned by Washington, a key backer of the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.
"The United States is deeply concerned about the latest violence in Lebanon," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement. "Our support for the Lebanese government and its democratic institutions is unwavering."
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman warned against any attempts to derail efforts underway at national reconciliation, with the attack taking place just a day after he announced the start of multi-party dialogue next Tuesday.
"This crime comes as we are working toward reconciliation," Siniora told the leading An-Nahar newspaper. "A criminal hand has sought to abort these efforts to create dissent among the Lebanese."
Aridi, in his 50s, was a top adviser to pro-Syrian Druze leader and government minister Talal Arslan, a rival to Druze anti-Syrian leader Walid Jumblatt. His father is also a leading Druze religious figure.
Jumblatt denounced the attack as a bid to sow violence between his party and Arslan”s, which reconciled in May following fierce clashes between rival clans.
"This is an important message to our party, in which Aridi played a key role" said Ziyad Shweiri, an MP and vice president of the Democratic Party.
Aridi, whose party is allied with the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, is the first pro-Syrian figure killed since a string of car bomb attacks began in Lebanon in 2005, targetting mainly anti-Syrian politicians.
In February 2005, five-times prime minister Rafiq Hariri was killed by a huge bomb on the Beirut seafront. The international and domestic backlash against his killing resulted in Syria withdrawing its forces from its tiny neighbour after nearly 30 years.
But Lebanon and Syria just last month announced their intention to open diplomatic ties for the first time since independence from France 60 years ago.
"Who wants to kill the dialogue?" questioned French newspaper L”Orient-Le-Jour, while An-Nahar declared: "The killing in Baysur: A bloody veto against reconciliation."
"The security situation in Lebanon has been dealt a blow as the country was going through a promising period of reconciliation that was to lead to a national dialogue next Tuesday," it added.
The pro-Syrian As-Safir for its part pointed the finger at Israel.
"Those who feel threatened by national reconciliation have tried to assassinate the political truce and the positive atmosphere in the country just days before the national dialogue," it said.
Tuesday”s talks come after Lebanon went through its worst political crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, with sectarian clashes in May leaving at least 65 dead and bringing the country close to fresh all-out conflict
Feuding political parties struck an agreement in the Qatari capital Doha in May that led to Sleiman”s election as president and the formation of a national unity cabinet.