Hariri's Funeral

Today, I spent the day, walking through Beirut, a place I had felt I knew all so well, but looks so different after this horrific tragedy. The site of the bombing was worse then I imagined, and I originally imagined it to be devastating…The funeral began around 10am local time, but I didn’t make my way downtown until noon. There were massive crowds throughout the city; some gathered near the old theatre that was blown up during the war, some in the parking lot overlooking the mosque under construction…People with all sorts of backgrounds came to attend. You could see Junblatt’s Progressive Party flag being waved by so many of the young Lebanese in attendance. People, young and old, came to see the burial of the former prime minister. I felt touched both as an observer and as someone who supports Lebanon, and loves the country for its beautiful history, people, and culture... This love for Lebanon, which has become a mysterious relationship, especially with Beirut itself, is difficult to relay in words, especially to those who have not seen the country. I have renewed my security and safety after venturing around the city, to see what the atmosphere is, and if there was any reason to think that danger is lurking in the near future… I believe, on the contrary that the country is reaching a breaking point, which will hopefully push it into a more secure and free path… There is one feeling that echoes from all the Lebanese that I have spoken with, from Druze, Sunni, Shi’a, to Christian, is that the war was for nothing… and they are tired of the violence… The people want to reclaim their country… and in my humble opinion, they will. As a foreigner (ajnabi), I have my own respect for Rafik Hariri, and may he rest in peace…

I hope for peace for Lebanon….
For the people I have met and befriended….
For the most hospitable people I have encountered….
For those who cannot escape the tragedy when it erupts.

Syria is for sure to blame

I am not really into conspiracy theory, and particularly the ones that come from the Middle East...but I am almost certain, that this assassination was a professional job, premeditated by the Syrian intelligence...Syria could only carry it out if they could pass off the blame on someone or something else...In this case, Al Qa3da, which would presumebly be an acceptable culprit would dismiss any ties to Syria..Conspiracy? or reality?

"Al Qaeda” denies involvement in Hariri killing

A day following the attack in which former Lebanese premier Rafic al-Hariri was killed, a statement posted on the web Tuesday and attributed to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network denied any involvement in the incident. It said Lebanese, Syrian or Israeli intelligence were those behind the Beirut attack.

The statement, signed by an unknown group calling itself the Al Qaeda Organization in the Levant, was posted on an Islamist website often used by al Qaeda, a day after another unknown Islamist group claimed it was behind the massive blast that killed Hariri and eight others. Several hours after the attack, Al Jazeera TV broadcast a video tape from the unknown Islamist group which said it had killed Hariri because of his Saudi ties.


"Blaming the Jihadist and Salafist groups for what happened in Beirut is a complete fabrication," the statement said, according to Reuters. "The priorities of the jihadist groups in the Levant are supporting our brethren in Iraq and Palestine, not blowing up cars."


"This is clearly an operation that was planned by a state intelligence agency ... and we blame either the Mossad, the Syrian regime or the Lebanese regime."


© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Hariri Assassination - thoughts, comments, feelings, accusations

First of all, I want everyone to know, that i am obviously alive...and I do thank God for that, although it would have been unusual for me to be in that area around the time the explosion happened, you never know and I pass it all the time in a serveez (Lebanese taxi), to go to AUB to Hamra...It is a really beautiful and safe area...What was my day like?? well to start it off..I was feeling sick this morning..so I texted messaged one of my coworkers to tell him that i don't think that i was going to go in today, and then I felt better around noon, so I decided I would head in...It takes about 30-45 mins to get out of here, so I was heading down the Old Damascus Highway, just a normal day...and at 1pm almost perfectly, I heard an incredibly loud explosion..and felt it in my stomach..to the poin that i jumped and was freaked out...I looked towards downtown, and then I saw a dark dark mushroom cloud rise up from the buildings...I had no idea what had just happened, I looked to the sky for an Israeli jets, but I didn't hear any airplanes...and I saw the Lebanese scatter on the sidewalk and rush outside to see what was going on...There is nothing more frustrating then trying to find out what happened in Arabic...especially when I am not familiar with words concerning violence...I finally spoke with a man who told me sayara "boom"..sayara meaning car..and I knew...at first i thought it was just an attack on a hotel because everyone told me near St. Georges...so I had no idea... I went to meet my friend because we were going to check out an apartment that we might move into, and I found out that he was even more oblivious...I tried to call my friends, to see if they were ok, but the phone network was full and I couldn't get through to anyone....Finally, after looking at the apartment, just after witnessing a bombing, we headed back to the downtown office...we found broken glass all over the city because of the magnitude of the blast...I can't explain it any better....When I arrived at the office, I found that the car bomb was an attempted assassination...and it was targeting Hariri...We first were told he was alive and in the hospital, until CNN broke that Hariri was in fact killed in the attack...It has been a terrible experience, and a crazy shift in the atmosphere, for now, i am just staying inside my apartment in fear of any type of retaliation....these are my initial thoughts, and situation... I am in disbelief....and I am certain it involved syria....not 100% sure, but the timing, and the recent warnings...indicated that it just might be...don't automatically accept the group that claimed it as the ones responsible...I think there are definitely links to Syria... well as for now, i am going to stay indoors...I hope all clears up here peacefully, and there is no retaliation...as many of the Lebanese feel the same way.....well that is all for now...i will be sure and post more in the future...