Lebanese security forces inspect damage to Beirut’s predominantly Christian district of Ashrafiyeh on Saturday, October 20. A car bomb blast on Friday killed the top security official linked to the anti-Damascus camp in Lebanon, where leaders pointed a finger of blame at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
– Assassination of lauded, ‘polarizing’ intelligence official rocks Lebanon (CNN, Oct 20, 2012):
Assassinations of high-profile government figures are not new to Lebanon. Some result from gruesome car bombs, ripping through people and buildings along bustling streets in cities like Beirut.
For years, when such blasts occurred, Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan led the investigations. He was credited with overhauling his nation’s intelligence forces, finding those responsible for targeted killings and preventing fresh attacks.
No more.
Al-Hassan and at least two others died in a massive explosion Friday in the typically peaceful and cosmopolitan Ashrafiyeh district of East Beirut that he called home.
Read moreLebanon’s Top Intelligence Official Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan Assassinated