October 20th, 2012
11:18 AM ET

Syrian leader under fire over Beirut bombing

A day after the most high-profile assassination in Lebanon in more than seven years, accusations over who's responsible homed in on the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a billionaire supported by Hezbollah, announced Saturday that he plans to stay in power, despite having offered his resignation to appease those who claimed al-Assad was behind Friday's car bombing that killed Lebanon's intelligence chief, Brig. Gen Wissam al-Hassan.

"To hold me personally responsible for the assassination is unfair," he told reporters. "I have always respected and admired al-Hassan, who has done great things for Lebanon."

Mikati's decision to stay heads off a power vacuum in Lebanon's government, as sectarian tensions flare particularly as the effects of Syria's 19-month civil war spill across borders and threaten the region.

The senior Lebanese security official and at least nine others died in the explosion in the typically peaceful and cosmopolitan Ashrafiyeh district of East Beirut.

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Filed under: Lebanon • Syria • World
soundoff (6 Responses)
  1. Philip

    Wondering when we are going to get-around to blameing muslims for our Jerry's Sanduskies and our Joshua Carriers, two openly gay men who represent millions of child predators among us. Carrier is the Colorado Springs poloce officer suspected of grooming families and coworkers for years before he pulled the trigger, raypeing 88 teenage boys in one school year. He was a volunteer assistant coach who paid for 8000 dollars worth of hotel rooms for boys in that year, class of 2011

    October 20, 2012 at 11:33 am | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    Seems as if you JUST DID!

    October 20, 2012 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  3. chrissy

    Im NOT disagreeing with you on how child preditors should be treated! Im SAYING that every topic should be linked 2 child preditors OR what happened 2 you as a child. I feel bad that happened 2 you, & 2 many others of us, but im not lettin it rule my life

    October 20, 2012 at 1:22 pm | Report abuse |
  4. chrissy

    Oops meant should *not* be linked to every topic.

    October 20, 2012 at 1:24 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Ben T Davis

    Philip, be gone now. You aint contributing nothing on these blogs anyway Go fishin and take Mary with u.

    October 20, 2012 at 1:44 pm | Report abuse |
  6. the prophet

    Russia is standing by and will move in to take over Syria.

    October 23, 2012 at 10:16 pm | Report abuse |
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