That didn't take long: Hezbullah blames Israel
"This is the work of agents trying to create strife in Lebanon," Hezbollah parliamentary Deputy Ali Meqdad said while visiting the site of the explosion.
Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar said, "This malicious act clearly bears the fingerprint of the Israeli enemy and its tools," according to Lebanon's Daily Star. Ammar said that no member of Hezbollah was hurt in the explosion.
But despite the accusations leveled against Israel, there were reports of celebratory gunfire in Bab Tabbaneh in Tripoli, the scene of anti-Shiite and anti-Assad clashes.
Contacted by a Reuters reporter, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said, "I am not familiar with this incident."
One person was killed and 37 injured in the bombing. Some reports say 53 people were wounded. One person described it as the worst bombing she had seen in Beirut since the 1980's.
"The war in Syria has found its way to Lebanon long ago because of Hezbollah's involvement in it. You can see it in Tripoli, Beirut and Sidon and in this morning's car bomb attack," Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said. "This fight is between the Sunnis and the Shiites and Israel will not intervene in it," he stressed.
Let's go to the videotape.
A Lebanese minister who visited the scene was attacked by bystanders.
Marwan Charbel, the Interior Minister, was attacked by angry civilians when he visited the bomb site and the army had to fire bullets into the air to break up the trouble.
Carole Mansour, who owns a shoe shop near the affected area, told AFP that everyone panicked and ran in different directions when the huge explosion occurred.
"The smoke was so high," said Mansour, who added that Hezbollah members dressed in civilian clothing were quick to deploy around the bombing site.
"I started following the sounds of the screams of people. My employees ran to the site to try to see what was happening because they have relatives there."
Amin said that the blast added to the tight sectarian and political divide in Lebanon over the war in Syria.
“Hezbollah is very clear about fighting by the side of Assad,” our correspondent said.
“Lebanon is vulnerable to what’s happening in Syria because it has so many groups; Sunni, Shias, Druzes and Christians.”Lebanon is vulnerable to what's happening in Syria because Hezbullah is fighting on Assad's side. If Hezbullah stops fighting for Assad, Lebanon will have nothing to do with what is happening in Syria. Then again, if Hebzullah stopped trying to attack Israel, Lebanon would have a quiet border too, but so far, that has not happened either.
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Beirut, car bombs, Hezbullah, Shiites v. Sunnis, Syria
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:05 PM
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