Lebanon's Minister Pierre Gemayel's Assassinated

Minister of Industry Pierre Gemayel was assassinated today. Witnesses say that a car slammed into the back of his car where the assassin got out of the second car and shot him to death at point blank range.

Gemayel was the youngest legislator who was voted into power in 2005 after the Syrians were forced to leave the territory, and Lebanon was given their freedom. Gemayel was one of the majority of people that were anti-Syrian.

He has a rich political history. His father was the former President Amin Gemayel between 1982 and 1988, and his grandfather was "the late Pierre Gemayel, led the right-wing Christian Kataeb Party that fielded the largest Christian militia during the 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims."

Gemayel is the fifth figure to be assassinated in the past two years in Lebanon. Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. The journalist and activist Samir Kassir and former Communist Party leader George Hawi were killed in separate car bombings in June last year in addition to lawmaker and newspaper manager Gibran Tueni was killed in a car bombing in December.

Saad Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, broke off a televised news conference after hearing that Gemayel had been shot. In an interview with CNN later, Hariri hailed Gemayel as "a friend, a brother to all of us" and appeared to break down after saying: "we will bring justice to all those who killed him."

This is breaking news at The Daily Star in Lebanon. There are suspisions that Hizbollah was behind this assassination. There are tension at this time, because "Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if it does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making."

Keep your ears and eyes opened to this. Has anyone noticed we have never received the report of who assassinated PM Hariri yet? Hmm...

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Update: If you feel so inclined to express your condolences, you may call, email or fax the Lebanon Embassy. Here are some numbers and addresses you may use:

Embassy Directory.
Embassy of Lebanon
2560 28th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 939-6300
Fax: (202) 939-6324
Email: info@lebanonembassyus.org

Ambassador of Lebanon to the United States.
Mrs. Christine DeLeon
Ambassador's Secretary
Tel: 202 939-6320 to 22.
E-Mail: CDeleon@lebanonembassyus.org.

Thank you.