Lebanese parliamentarian and editor-in-chief of An-Nahar newspaper Gebran Tueni was assassinated this morning in a car bomb in Mkalles, a mountain town outside of Beirut very near the UN investigating committee's headquarters in Monteverde.
Tueni has been a constant critic of the Syrian regime and a prominent member of the March 14 uprising. His voice has been the loudest in an every growing chorus calling for accountability and change in Lebanon.
The public was a bit skeptical of Tueni prior to his election to the parliament. Critics suggested that he was merely a shameless self-promoter carrying the American banner. This proved to be untrue. In Parliament, Tueni has been a voice for Lebanon like no other. He has called for accountability and aggressive policies for the reformation of the country.
Tueni has spoken critically about both major and minor events throughout the Middle East. He has been instrumental in keeping the spirit and energy of March 14 alive by tapping into the idealism of the youth. His newspaper has continued the word of revolution, and Tueni's speeches were becoming ever more aggressive on behalf of the youth, people, Lebanese, and truth.
That Tueni was targeted is not surprising. However, the timing of the attack does draw attention. The UN Commission just turned in their report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri. The report is due to be made public soon.
Gebran's father, Ghassan, is one of the most prominent Arab intellectuals. This past week, Ghassan Tueni received an award from the French government presented to him by French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. Ghassan Tueni already lost one son in a car accident.
Monday, December 12, 2005
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18 comments:
Allah yir7amou.
Let's hope that justice will be done. Internationally
This is a pity... Assasination is a tool used by the totalitarian regime to screw Lebanon...
I am stil under sock.. All lebanese in Paris here will gather either near the Lebanese embassy tonight or close to the Syrian embassy to say : Stop the terrorism...have a life and leave us alone.WH
Allah yer7amo. I hope he was the last on the list.
May Allah and Zeus have mercy upon his servile soul, for he didn’t deserve to die that way.
His cold-blooded Saudicon masters used him as a petty pawn in their anti-Baathist grand game, and now he’s gone, assassinated by some evil cowards… but the puppeteers are still around, quietly scheming behind the doors of their imperial palaces in Riyadh and TeX-Aviv.
As I had said in my previous posting in this same blog:
“…That’s precisely the problem my dear L.P. and Carine: […] unless you’re some kind of delusional Trotskyite turncoat à la Samir Kassir or a Saudi-subsidized collaborator such as Gebran Tueyni, it should be clear to you that people like Paul David Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith or Mike Ledeen don’t give a damn about say municipal elections in Zahleh, free speech in Mossul, or civil rights in Baalbeck!
Take a look at the so-called “Patriot Act” and you’ll see for yourself that these nefarious Pharisaic plotters are actually opposed to democracy and free speech in their own country: how can you trust them to “promote liberty” beyond America’s shores? ”
Gebran's father, Ghassan, is one of the most prominent Arab intellectuals. This past week, Ghassan Tueni received an award from the French government presented to him by French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. Ghassan Tueni already lost one son in a car accident.
And a daughter because of cancer.
RIP
Vic,
You really go too far sometimes.
Classes have been cancelled at schools and universities. Some government offices are closed.
The country is currently in shock. Ghassan Tueni is probably devastated.
Humanity trumps political affiliation. Your libelous claims are normally tolerable, but you've gone too far.
A man is dead. His life was far worth far more than the petty politics and worthless disparagement you publish as the flames still burn at Mkalles.
Vic, Lebanese politics may be a game to you. Admittedly, our politicians know very little about political theory, and their views rarely rise above a 9th grade level. But they are dying for their beliefs, regardless.
You can claim that our politicians are just playing games, but the games here are a lot more personally deadly.
If Shaheed Gebran was a pawn, as you claim, perhaps now is the time to have sympathy for him and respect his good name rather than continuing your spiteful ridicule.
Victorino
You are the moronic son of 36.000 bitches
L.P.,
Don’t get wrong: I detest terrorism and hope those who have committed that cowardly act will be brought to justice- as I have said earlier.
See, I’ve always been the Voltairian type: that’s why I hold the view that the life of writers and journalists is particularly sacred.
And I feel sincerely sorry for his family- as I have also said earlier.
And I pray for the Almighty to have mercy upon his soul...
BUT, all this being said, I still don’t believe Gebran Tueyni is a “Shaheed” whatever that Koranic concept applied to a Greek-Orthodox libertine may mean, and I still think the man was indeed a Major League subsidized pawn: I believe it’s my right to hold these thoughts, and it’s also my right to express them freely.
Allah yir7amou
After March the 14th, he was the only one voicing my sentiments and aspirations. No politician had the guts to say what i feal and think apart from Gibran. My parents didn't love him,at least during war times because they thought of him as a "Mouta3asseb" unlike his father. This puzzled me, because if he is "Mouta3asseb" then i am as well because i agree to every single word he ever wrote despite me being Sunni. I am truely devastated and depressed as i think that the only person who echoes my sentiments is dead. Allah yirhamou. God have mercy on his soul. God save Lebanon.
What treachery! What shameless political torture!? Lebanon is not some bastard son that Syria can whip indiscriminately whenever he becomes recalcitrant. Syria doesn't know how or when to stop.
WE ALL KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! WHY WASN'T ANYTHING DONE TO PREVENT IT?
Is it enough to cry and shout "International Inquiry" everytime something happens in our country?
Too much talking and no action at all. I blame the Syrians for the assassinations, but I also blame the Lebanese for doing nothing to prevent them.
Hello All.
There is a SIT IN in Paris; place victor HUGO (ambassade de Liban) @ 19H15 today Monday Dec 12.. Merci de diffuser le message.
WH
LB,
why do you let that sick fuck victorino spread his feces on your blog? Have you no self respect?
CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL IN WASHINGTON DC
For those who are in the Washington DC vicinity, let us gather in a candle light vigil to commemorate the loss of our martyr Gebran Tueni.
Place: in front of the Lebanese Embassy in DC
Time: 8:00PM this evening
Contact: Doha Melhem, doha underscore melhem at yahoo dot com (no space in between)
This attack underscores the weakness of the United Nations more than anything. Were the UN capable of dispatching a focused investigating team that was capable of avoiding the various sources of interference (and willing to remain opaque to outsiders, which the UN more often than not refuses to do, even when lives are at stake), the Hariri investigation may not have become Syria's own self-perceived source of empowerment. Syria reads this situation now as "failing measures to bring down the regime, we most likely have a green light to do whatever we want." Tueni will probably not be the last.
Also, this event demonstrates how completely penetrated the Lebanese security infrastructure remains. Something like this required extensive planning and knowledge of Tueni's precise movements. Who do you think gave Tueni up? Security officials at the airport? Workers at his hotel? Sure, the bomb probably came engineered straight from Syria, but undoubtedly the Lebanese government deserves to share the blame on this one.
Regarding the uncontrollably loose vocal chords of the Doc, it would more indicative of one's self-respect to let his bleeding pen run free. See, Dr. Vic is a "critic" consistent with Oscar Wilde's definition - following the battle, he desires only to kill all the remaining survivors.
"undoubtedly the Lebanese government deserves to share the blame on this one"
Well said Caveman: PM Saniura should immediately tender his resignation, and president Lahoud should disolve this inept pro-Saudi puppet Parliament and resign right after Gerrymander-free elections are held
Vic (and your other persona here),
You have no sense of decency, no sense of proportion and no sense at all.
Eat shit and die.
Other fellow bloggers: No lectures please. There is a time for this kind of talk and the time is now.
Vigils and memorials are fine. But more importantly the Interior and Justice ministers need to go, along with the top security/intelligence officials. Not only because a horrible crime has occurred, but because they have not caught anyone on anything that occurred before.
Gebrane R.I.P.
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