Mass murder in Beirut

A huge car bombing has killed at least 9 people, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - who has publicly spoken out against the Syrian occupation of his country. (You know, the occupation that doesn't count 'cuz the Israelis aren't doing it.)

Robert Fisk, of all people, lives not far from the explosion scene. He's okay, thankfully (you know I'm no fan of Fisk, to put it mildly, but that doesn't mean I want him killed), but for now he seems prepared to give the Syrians the benefit of the doubt:

Without his presence, then we have a serious economic crisis here as well as a political one, because the question is: was he killed because he was believed to be opposing Syria. Would the Syrians dream of doing anything so crude and vicious as this.

Syria's Ba'athist government destroyed the city of Hama, killing 20,000 of its own people, in 1982. So, yes, I do believe the Syrians could do something as crude and vicious as this.

Posted by damian at February 14, 2005 12:58 PM