Lahoud warns against sedition, opposition accuses him of killing Qassir
Lebanon, Politics, 6/3/2005

The Lebanese President Emil Lahoud deplored strongly the assassination of the Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir who was killed on Thursday morning in a booby trapped car explosion in al-Ashrafeyah area in Beirut. He warned against a scheme aiming at implanting sedition among the Lebanese.

Simultaneously, the Lebanese opposition linked to Syria the responsibility for assassinating Qassir. Lahoud stressed during his visit to the journalists union to give condolences on the demise of al-Qassir that he refused since the first day he assumed his mission the imprisonment of any journalist. He added, "I vowed this matter not to take place, whatsoever journalists criticize me in their writings."

Lahoud's statements came few hours after the confirmation made by the Lebanese parliamentarian and former minister of information Ghazi al-Aredi told al-Jazeera TV that Lahoud threatened the Lebanese press one day ago, noting that this incident comes in the course of this continued "security policy by Lahoud."

Meantime, the murder of Samir al-Qassir is targeting security and freedom in Lebanon, Lebanese Premier Najib Miqati said Thursday.

"Investigation in every available information is going on as well as we are supported by all needed expertise to divulge circumstances of this crime as quick as possible," Miqati added.

Presiding a meeting attended by Lebanese Ministers of defense, justice and interior in addition to heads of juridical and securities bodies, Miqati emphasized that a meeting of the central security council due to be held to review this cause.

In a new intensification of the situation by the Lebanese opposition, the opposition "Bristol" meeting called for the resignation of the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud at a time when Qassir's wife "Jezil Khouri" called for an international investigation, including France, to the assassination operation of the man who was described by the opposition as the "martyr of the uprising for independence."

A statement read by the secretary of the left democratic movement Elias Attallah following a meeting for the opposition said that the "practical reaction to the crime will be asking for the resignation of the Presidfent of the republic over being the actual commander of the ailing Syrian- Lebanese security regime, by democratic means." Atallah said "Once again the hand of terrorism, at the protection of the President of the Republic and the intelligence forces and the remains of the ailing police regime hit in Lebanon, calling for a general strike today ( Friday) mourning al-Qassir assassination."

The opposition statement linked the assassination of Qassair to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, parliamentarian Bassel Fleihan and the assassination attempt of Parliamentarian Marwan Hamadeh.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese renowned journalist Samir al-Qassir assassinated   (6/2/2005)
  France commends the Lebanese elections   (6/2/2005)
  Al-Aredim and Aoun- Arsalan alliance; Sfeir on developments   (6/2/2005)

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