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Assassins of former Lebanese PM brand him 'Saudi agent'

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, February 15, 2005

An Islamic fundamentalist groups with ties to Al Qaida has claimed credit for an attack which killed Lebanon's former prime minister on Monday.

Lebanon's five-time prime minister and billionaire tycoon Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a huge car bomb blast near the St. George's Hotel in Beirut. Another nine people were killed and about 100 wounded when the explosion hit Hariri's motorcade.

In a broadcast on Al Jazeera television a Palestinian said he carried out the attack to avenge the successful liquidation campaign on Al Qaida cells based in Saudi Arabia's.

The Islamic fundamentalist group Jamaat Al Nasrat Wal Jihad Bilad Al Sham [Al Jihad's Partisans for Greater Syria] claimed responsibility for the attack early today. The unknown group is thought to be linked to Al Qaida.

Al Jazeera television based in Qatar broadcast a statement Monday by Palestinian Ahmed Abu Adas, 24, who said he carried out the suicide attack against Hariri because of the former prime minister's closenesss to the Saudi Arabian regime.

Hariri is "a Saudi agent," Abu Adas said of Hariri, a dual Lebanese, Saudi citizen. Abu Adas, a Wahabi Muslim, said that his motivation for the attack stemmed from "supporting our struggling brothers in the country of holy places [Saudi Arabia] and to avenge the martyrs who were killed by the security forces affiliated to the Saudi regime."

Lebanese security forces are investigating the attack. But Lebanese opposition officials held Damascus responsible for Hariri's assassination.

Opposition leaders, including Druze chief Walid Jumblat and former President Amin Gemayel said in a statement that Lebanon's leaders and Syria "the custody power in Lebanon" were "responsible of this and other similar crimes." The statement also called for "the departure of the authority which lost its constitutional, popular and international legitimacy, the formation of a transition government and withdrawal of the Syrian troops" from Lebanon.

Syria still maintains 18,000 to 20,000 troops in Lebanon.


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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