Lebanese minister's assassination renew Syria diplomatic ties issue

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to press Syria on establishing official diplomatic relations, a German government press release said Saturday following a phone conversation between the two leaders on Friday evening.

"As a manifestation of Syria's declared will to recognize Lebanon's sovereignty, the Syrian government should finally establish official diplomatic ties with Lebanon...," Siniora was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Lebanese prime minister urged German and European Union support for Lebanon's demands. Syria has no official diplomatic relations with its western neighbor, arguing the two states are too close for such formal ties.

However the Lebanese government has pushed for such relations since the Syrian military withdrawal and, earlier this year, the UN Security Council passed a resolution, sponsored by the US, France and Britain, which urged Syria and Lebanon to demarcate their common border and establish diplomatic relations.

Damascus has repeatedly warned against foreign efforts to impose diplomatic relations between the two neighboring Arab states.

This comes following the assassination of Lebanese minister of industry Pierre Gemayel, a Christian, this past Tuesday. Gemayel's uncle, Lebanese president Basjir Gemayel, whose father created the Phalangist party, at the time was anti-Syrian and made an agreement with Israel, was assassinated, and Syria was rumored to be behind his assassination, as is being rumored in this assassination. This comes amid the Lebanese government split over the decision to approve a tribunal to investigate the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic al-Hariri, and others.

Gemayel was gunned down as he drove through a Christian suburb of Beirut.

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak sent condolence cables to former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, the father, and Premier Fouad Seniora. Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said the assassination has targeted not only Gemayel but also Lebanon's stability. He stressed the importance of uncovering the facts behind this assassination and other killings and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Mubarak called on all Lebanese citizens to continue dialogue in a national and good spirit in order to spare Lebanon the risks of untoward consequences that incite the sad memories in Lebanon's contemporary history.

He called on all Lebanese to rally ranks in order to confront such treacherous acts of terror which aim at undermining Lebanon's security and independence.

Mubarak voiced his deep sorrow over the assassination Gemayel, saying such a tragic incident proved that there were parties seeking to harm Lebanon. He urged all the Lebanese people to join hands in the face of such terrorist acts targeting Lebanon's security and stability. Mubarak went on to say that he phoned father of the assassinated industry minister Amin Gemayel to offer his condolences.

Head of the Future Bloc in Parliament MP Saad Hariri said there will not be another civil war in Lebanon, and said Syria and Israel seek to destabilize the country and spark internal strife among the Lebanese. In an interview with CNN, MP Hariri also said Syria was involved in the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

In the interview, head of the Future Bloc expressed confidence that Hizbullah was not involved in a campaign of assassinations that targeted March 14 political figures, but said President Emile Lahoud has been protecting the perpetrators. He stressed that Hizbullah and Syria’s allies in the country have also been protecting the Syrian regime, for their own interests. He told CNN that President Lahoud wants to scuttle the creation of an international tribunal to try the suspects in Prime Minister Rafic Hariri’s assassination and pointed out that President Lahoud, whom he described as a Syrian puppet, will refuse to ratify last night’s government approval of a UN proposal to create the special court.

Hariri stressed that Lebanese political leaders have been trying to contain political tensions and to prevent a new civil war, although Israel and Syria have a common interest in destabilizing Lebanon. He made clear that Syria will continue to deny involvement in a wave of assassinations until all the March 14 figures are killed. Saad Hariri also told CNN that the current conflict in Lebanon is political and not sectarian. He said it is over the creation of the international tribunal, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the election of a new President.

Syria has in the past denied such allegations, saying it has sacrificed much for Lebanon, and has interest in its stability, and those action harm Lebanon as well as Syria.