A prominent anti-Syrian journalist was killed when a bomb exploded in his car in Beirut on Thursday in an attack the opposition blamed on Syria and its Lebanese security allies. The killing of columnist Samir Qaseer four days after the start of Lebanon's staggered parliamentary elections shocked the country that is only just coming to terms with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February. Security sources said Qaseer, from An-Nahar newspaper, died instantly when a bomb under the driver's seat of his white Alfa Romeo blew up as he switched on the ignition outside his home in the Christian Ashrafiyeh neighborhood. The lower part of his body was torn apart. A passerby was wounded, several cars were damaged and windows in nearby buildings were shattered by the explosion. Interior Minister Hassan al-Sabaa said the bomb weighed between 500-700 grams and was most likely detonated by remote control.
Qaseer, 45, was a columnist for Lebanon's leading daily who had for years called for an end to Syria's role in Lebanon. His fiery writings against Syria and the Lebanese "police state" landed him in trouble in 2001 when the Syrian-backed security services seized his passport and threatened him with arrest. He was said to have received several death threats.