Lebanese Terror attacks planned to drive out Christians
Pastor Dale Morgan
Lebanese Terror attacks planned to drive out Christians*
Brother of slain Lebanese minister says today's bombings bid to
destabilize country
Posted: February 13, 2007
News From Israel
Twin bus bombings in Lebanon today are a bid by anti-government elements
to destabilize the country and part of a general campaign to intimidate
Lebanon's Christian population, Samy Gemayel, brother of assassinated
Lebanese politician Pierre Gemayel said in an interview.
The bus bombings come on the eve of the second anniversary of the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, whose
death has been widely blamed on Syria.
The attacks, which killed at least three people and injured dozens,
occurred as the two buses passed through the Christian town of Ein Alaq,
the ancestral home of Samy Gemayel's father, former president Amin
Gemayel, and his uncle Bashir, also a former president.
The death count was expected to rise, security officials said.
According to eye witnesses, the two targeted buses were filled to
capacity with passengers. One of the drivers, a distant cousin of Samy
Gemayel, survived with moderate injuries.
"These bombings are intimidating Christians and also Lebanese in
general," said Gemayel. "Ninety percent of all the assassinations the
past two years and most of the bombings have occurred in Christian
population centers."
"You don't hear this on the news too often, but I'm telling you,
Christians are fleeing Lebanon. It's a major problem," Gemayel said.
A recent study in Lebanon found 30 percent of the country's Christian
population is working actively to emigrate. And according to several
reports, nearly 600,000 Christians departed Lebanon the past 16 years.
Christians previously made up the majority of Lebanon's population. A
1932 census stated Lebanon was 55 percent Christian. But recent surveys
cited by the CIA Factbook state Muslims now constitute a solid majority
with 60 percent. The Shia sect, represented by the Hezbollah militia, is
Lebanon's largest Muslim community.
Many Christian sects support Lebanon's anti-Syrian politicians,
including the Christian Phalangists, considered one of Syria's main
political foes in Lebanon. Others, including many Maronite Christians
represented by parliament member Michel Aoun, have joined political
forces with Hezbollah, Syria's ally.
Hariri's assassination in a car-bomb attack Feb. 14, 2005, prompted
major, country-wide demonstrations and the withdrawal of Syrian forces
that has been present in Lebanon for nearly 30 years.
Since then, scores of high profile anti-Syrian politicians and
journalists, mostly Christian, have been targeted. A series of bombings,
mainly in Christian neighborhoods, have rocked the country. Samy
Gemayel's brother Pierre, who served as Lebanon's industry minister, was
assassinated last November.
Leaders in the Lebanese government said they believed today's attacks
were timed to deter people from attending protests to mark the
anniversary of Hariri's murder. Pro-government groups had planned a mass
memorial for Hariri in Beirut's Martyrs Square for tomorrow.
Walid Jumblatt, leader of Lebanon's Druze community and head of the
Progressive Socialist Party, blamed today's bus bombings on Syria.
"This is an attempt by Syria to intimidate and to sabotage the formation
of a tribunal to try the murderers of Hariri," Jumblatt said.
Jumblatt, largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese
politician, said he hoped the attacks would prompt the people of Lebanon
to unite.
Lebanon has failed the past few months to approve the formation of a
tribunal to try suspects for Hariri's murder due to opposition from
Hezbollah, which has threatened to derail the government unless the
militia gains more control of the parliament.
Samy Gemayel, 26, comes from one of Lebanon's most prominent political
families, but he is seen by many political observers in his country as
being an independent thinker.
He has led student movements against Syrian occupation and has differed
publicly from the views of others in his family by calling for a new
political order in Lebanon that would create a new parliament and
constitution to represent all sects in the country.
"If you look at all of Lebanon's problems the past 50 years, most stem
from the fact that there is no representative government, so people have
always had to take to the streets to express their views," says Gemayel.
"Previous Lebanese institutions have failed. Our current institutions
have failed. We need new institutions and a new political formula so
everyone feels they are fairly represented," Gemayel said.