A roadside bomb has seriously injured the lead investigator into the assassination of Rafik Hariri and killed four of his bodyguards near the seaside city of Sidon in Lebanon. The remote-controlled bomb seems very similar to the means used to assassinate Hariri:

A bomb blast near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon has seriously wounded a senior intelligence officer and killed four of his aides and bodyguards. Officials said Samir Shehadeh's was hit by a remote-controlled bomb as he drove past the village of Rmeileh.

Col Shehadeh was an investigator into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in early 2005. ...

The bombing comes two weeks before the UN chief investigator is to submit a report on his latest findings in the Hariri investigation to the UN.

Shehadeh had an inkling of an attack. The bomb actually hit the car in which he would normally ride, but instead had a decoy in his place. The force of the blast sent shrapnel flying in all directions, however, and Shehadeh had to be rushed to a hospital. The BBC does not give any indication of his prognosis except to state that his condition is "serious".

This attack points back to Syria, which faces international embarrassment when Lebanon starts a tribunal to try the case against the suspects it has in custody. Shehadeh led the investigation, arresting four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals as complicit in the political assassination. No doubt Shehadeh would play an important part in prosecuting those responsible for Hariri's death, if he survives to see the trial.

The only people who benefit from this attack are Syria's leadership and those Lebanese collaborators who enabled their deadly grip on Lebanon. Only Syria or its toady, Hassan Nasrallah, have the sophistication to carry out this kind of assassination attempt. Syria keeps emphasizing its position as the author of all misery in Lebanon, and perhaps the attempted murder will refocus the Lebanese on the true threat to their national sovereignty and identity.

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» Killing Off The Investigators from It Shines For All
"A bomb blast near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon has seriously wounded a senior intelligence officer and killed four of his aides and bodyguards," the BBC reports. Officials said Samir Shehadeh's car was hit by a remote-controlled bomb as... [Read More]

Tracked on September 5, 2006 7:28 AM

» Attempted Assassination On Investigator Hariri Murder from Liberty and Justice
We're of course still waiting for the results of this investigation, but the question is not whether Syria orchestrated / ordered Hariri's death. The real question is whether the international community will, finally, hold Syria (thus Assad) responsibl... [Read More]

Tracked on September 5, 2006 8:54 AM

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The webmaster's blog-within-a-blog. Continuously updated and bumped, newest items at the top. 10:44 Syria Doubles Down With Another Assassination Attempt A roadside bomb has seriously injured the lead investigator into the assassination of Rafik Hariri... [Read More]

Tracked on September 5, 2006 10:57 AM