"By assassinating Gebran Tueni, the Syrian regime ... has renewed its war on Lebanon," said MP Boutros Harb as he read a statement following a meeting of the Independence Intifada coalition - of which Tueni was a leading member.Tueni, 48, the general director of An-Nahar newspaper where the coalition held their meeting, was killed in a car bomb on Monday just a day after his return from France where he had been spending time for fear of an attempt on his life. "We urge Parliament to hold an emergency session to discuss the dangerous situation generated by the police state that prevails at the highest level, namely the president of the republic," said Harb, who, along with several other politicians, has been calling for Lahoud's resignation since the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Lahoud's mandate was "renewed by force at Syria's request in violation of the Lebanese Constitution, and this has paralyzed the executive power and led to the crisis threatening Lebanon's independence and fate," said Harb.
Despite their division from the March 14 gathering since the return of their leader MP Michel Aoun from exile, Aoun's parliamentary Change and Reform bloc joined in the meeting, but didn't stay long and left before the release of the official statement. "We were not invited, but we came in solidarity with the martyr Tueni," said MP Ibrahim Kenaan. Aoun's bloc left the meeting early, raising speculation of a difference in opinion between the two sides that has grown since the parliamentary elections. Harb clarified that the statement reflects the opinion of those that remained until the end of the meeting. "This statement is a representation of the opinions of people who are here now," he said at the news conference following the hour-long meeting.
| So Tueni, like lots of other Lebanese pols, was hiding out in France for fear of his life. Presumably somebody tipped him the coast was clear, whereupon he was boomed. |