Suicide Attack Beirut

Feb. 15, 2005 --

Beirut Blast 'Was Suicide Attack'
Lebanon's ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was "almost certainly" killed by a suicide bomb, initial inquiries show. (BBC)

Lebanon Puts Army on Alert for Violence
Lebanon plunged into deep mourning and put its army on alert against violence Tuesday, a day after a massive bomb killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and raised fears that Lebanon might revert to the political violence of its 1975-90 civil war. (AP)

'Qaeda' Says Jihadists Didn't Kill Hariri — Web
A statement attributed to al Qaeda and posted on the Internet on Tuesday denied Islamists had killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, saying Lebanese, Syrian or Israeli intelligence were behind the attack. (News story)

U.S. Seems Sure of the Hand of Syria, Hinting at Penalties
The White House suggested that Syria was to blame for the Lebanon bombing and was studying the possibility of tougher sanctions. (NY Times)

In Pictures: Beirut Blast

(BBC)

On the Brink of An Abyss
Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is dead — assassinated in a way that brings the ghosts of the not-so-distant past howling into present-day reality. Hariri's slaying is a momentous event, yet the most pressing concern right now is not who pulled the trigger. (The Daily Star)

Opposition Loses Main Force in Hariri
Rafik Hariri was a moderate leader with a strong presence, someone the opposition could rally around heading into upcoming elections that have turned on the bitter fight over Syria's military presence. That role was perhaps his undoing. (AP)

Syria Under Pressure After Bomb
In the immediate aftermath of the bomb which killed the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and at least nine others, most eyes were turned towards Syria as a possible culprit. (BBC)

Devastating Blow
The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is a devastating blow for Lebanon. The specter of terrorism has come back to the streets of Beirut. (Arab News)