[Excerpt: The intensity of the political battle over Syria's troops in Lebanon has raised fears of a return to the sectarian violence of the civil war. So far, however, the political factions do not conform to religious boundaries, with Christians and Muslims on both sides of the debate....On Wednesday, Qornet Shehwan issued a statement accusing "the police regime and its agents" of terrorizing Lebanon......"They have organized attacks against some citizens and their motorcades, then they moved on to a chain of explosions from Jdeideh to Kaslik," Qornet Shehwan said. The group urged people who suffered losses in the explosions to sue the interior and defense ministers for "their failure to guarantee security for the people."]
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LEBANON_SYRIA?SITE=MABOC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The opposition lawmaker who represents Jounieh, Nematallah Abi Nasr, urged his constituents not to be swayed by such attacks, saying, "Each citizen should be his own guard." Mar 23, 8:09 AM EST Blast at Anti-Syrian Stronghold Kills 3 By HUSSEIN DAKROUB Associated Press Writer BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- A bomb killed three people in a Christian commercial center early Wednesday, the second attack in an anti-Syrian stronghold in five days, raising fears that agitators were trying to show a need for Syria's military presence in Lebanon. A major opposition group, Qornet Shehwan, accused the pro-Damascus authorities of seeking to "terrorize" the people through the blasts. The local member of parliament called on his constituents to resist attempts to draw them into sectarian strife. Meanwhile, the magistrate investigating the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which brought Syria's long domination of the country into the spotlight, has asked to step down, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday. The move comes ahead of a report by U.N. investigators reportedly accusing authorities of negligence and tampering with evidence in the aftermath of the blast that killed Hariri and 17 other people in central Beirut. Wednesday's explosion at the Alta Vista center in Kaslik, Jounieh, about 10 miles north of Beirut, is said to have killed a Sri Lankan and an Indian. The bomb wounded four other people, who were treated at a hospital. A third body was found in the rubble hours later. Police said it was believed to be that of another worker from the Indian subcontinent. The 45-pound bomb is believed to have been placed in a leather bag at the building's back entrance, a Lebanese security official said on condition of anonymity. A police officer was cut by falling debris as he inspected the damage in the shopping center. Lebanon has been in political turmoil since Hariri's assassination. Mass demonstrations have forced the resignation of the Lebanese government and intensified the international campaign for Syria to withdraw its troops. Syria has pulled back its troops and intelligence agents into eastern Lebanon toward the border and has been promising to work out their complete removal with the pro-Syrian government in Beirut. It has so far not given a timetable, despite mounting international pressure led by the Bush administration, which has demanded that Syria withdraw its remaining 10,000 troops and all intelligence agents from Lebanon in compliance with a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last year. Syrian troops entered Lebanon, ostensibly as peacekeepers, in the second year of the 1975-90 civil war. They remained after the war, making Syria the power broker of Lebanese politics. The Beirut government and Lebanese supporters of Syria have long argued that the country needs Syrian soldiers to maintain stability. In Brussels, Belgium, a European Union summit told Syria Wednesday it must promptly withdraw its troops and intelligence officers. The 25 EU leaders said Syrian President Bashar Assad should "quickly implement commitments ... to remove all Syrian troops and security services from Lebanon." On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan secured a promise from Assad at the Arab summit in Algeria that Syria would produce a timetable for a full withdrawal by early April. He told the summit Wednesday that a U.N. inquiry into Hariri's killing might not be sufficient. Annan said he expects to release a report in the next few days on it, but "I believe a more comprehensive investigation may also be necessary." A newspaper owned by Hariri's family has reported the U.N. team found that Lebanese authorities had tampered with evidence and were negligent in their handling of the blast. On Wednesday, Investigating Magistrate Michel Abou Arraj asked the Supreme Judicial Council in a letter to be excused from the case, Justice Ministry officials said on condition of anonymity. Abu Arraj's said his criminal court schedule was too busy, officials said. The judicial council can accept his request and appoint another magistrate, decline to act on it or reject it outright. The move will certainly delay the investigation. On Saturday, a car bomb exploded in the Beirut Christian suburb of New Jdeideh, wounding nine people and causing extensive damage to an adjacent commercial and residential building. That explosion prompted President Emile Lahoud to cancel plans to attend the Arab summit, citing the "exceptional circumstances" in Lebanon. The intensity of the political battle over Syria's troops in Lebanon has raised fears of a return to the sectarian violence of the civil war. So far, however, the political factions do not conform to religious boundaries, with Christians and Muslims on both sides of the debate. On Wednesday, Qornet Shehwan issued a statement accusing "the police regime and its agents" of terrorizing Lebanon. "They have organized attacks against some citizens and their motorcades, then they moved on to a chain of explosions from Jdeideh to Kaslik," Qornet Shehwan said. The group urged people who suffered losses in the explosions to sue the interior and defense ministers for "their failure to guarantee security for the people." The opposition lawmaker who represents Jounieh, Nematallah Abi Nasr, urged his constituents not to be swayed by such attacks, saying, "Each citizen should be his own guard." On Tuesday, about 1,000 pro-Syrian students marched on the U.S. Embassy, shouting "Death to America!" The students tore up a photograph of President Bush and denounced what they said was Washington's interference in Lebanon. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. enditem ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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