Straw: Beirut assassination set-back to peace
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said he deplores yesterday assignation of the former Lebanon prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Mr Straw added that the loss of Mr Hariri will be a set back to peace in the region.
In Lebanon, the people have begun three days of mourning whilst the army has stepped up security.
Mr Hariri died instantly yesterday when his motorcade was hit; up to 14 others were also killed in the attack and another 100 were injured.
Mr Hariri was prime minister for most of the period since the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon, holding the role 1992-98 and then again from 2000-04. He resigned from government last October.
Although not part of the official opposition, he had been increasingly vocal in calling for Syria to withdraw its military presence from the country.
Lebanese opposition leaders have said they hold the Lebanese and Syrian governments responsible for the killing.
But Syria has denied any involvement in the assassination, with president Bashar al-Assad condemning it as a “terrible criminal act”.
Yesterday’s attack has prompted fears that the country is on the verge of descending back into violence.
An army statement said it had ordered “a general mobilisation of all army units, raised to the maximum its state of alert” to “safeguard stability”.
A little-known group calling itself Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria claimed responsibility for the attack, but this claim cannot be verified.
The Foreign Secretary said that he was concerned by the attack and Mr Hariri will be missed.
Mr Straw said: “I deplore this attack on a highly respected figure, on democracy and on the stability of Lebanon.”
He added: “Mr Hariri played a big role in rebuilding Lebanon after the devastation of the civil war,” he said.
“Until now, Beirut and Lebanon as a whole have enjoyed relative peace and security, so this is a set back as well as an act of terror.”
