Lebanese political groupings condemn attempt on defence minister
Lebanese National News Agency web site, Beirut
12 Jul 05
Lebanese politicians have responded to the assassination attempt on
Defence Minister and Deputy Premier Ilyas al-Murr in reports carried
by the National News Agency on 12 July.
At 1535 gmt, the agency quoted the Future parliamentary bloc as
saying: “The despicable crime that targeted the defence minister in
fact targets Lebanon’s sovereignty, freedom and stability.” The bloc
asked that the “investigation be fast-tracked in order to expose the
criminals and severely punish the perpetrators and those motivating
them, who are tampering with the country’s stability and security”.
At 1535 gmt, the agency quoted a statement issued by the National
Democratic Secular Party, which expressed its fear that this explosion
was an extension of the series of attacks targeting Lebanon. The party
called on all parties to work together towards achieving true national
unity, because the “fate of the people and the homeland are the
foremost considerations”.
At 1536 gmt, the agency reported statements made by Abd-al-Majid
Salih, member of the Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc,
who said : “The arm of crime and terrorism has once again struck
Lebanon and its civil peace march, in a bid to hinder attempts to
rescue the homeland from the whirlpool of murder and assassination.”
Salih urged unity and hard work in order to “expose the hands messing
with the safety of the people and the homeland, and to bring the
perpetrators and masterminds to justice”.
At 1542 gmt, the agency reported on a statement issued by the Armenian
parliamentary bloc, in which the bloc condemned “the organized
terrorist crime” that targeted Al-Murr. The statement said: “This
cowardly and extremely detestable act is but part of the series of
explosions that seek to rattle Lebanon’s stability and internal
unity.” The statement urged unity, and called for “fast-tracking the
investigation and identifying all those involved in these terrorist
acts”.
At 1549 gmt, the agency reported a statement issued by the Tashnaq
party’s Central Committee, in which it condemns the “unjust
assassination attempt”, adding that “national unity is the only
guarantee that the homeland will recover”. The committee asked that
“an end be put to the criminal hands that wish to tamper with security
and plant fear in the hearts and minds of citizens”. The statement
urged that “security measures be tightened in order to bring the cycle
of explosions and assassinations to an end”.
At 1549 gmt, the agency quoted Husayn Dakhlallah, head of the
Committee for the Immortalization of Leader Hafiz al-Asad in Lebanon,
which issued a statement describing the attempted assassination as a
“criminal assault”. The statement viewed the attempt as a “threat to
pan-Arab and national security”, and an attempt to prey on Lebanon’s
accomplishment, that is its victory over Israel. Dakhlallah urged
“national, pan-Arab and Islamic unity as it is the sole means to fend
off the US-backed Israeli aggression that seeks to muddle with
security in Lebanon and the region”.