Lebanese bombings in 2005
The 2005 Lebanese bombings were a series of bombings in Lebanon , mainly in Beirut and its suburbs. The wave of attacks began in October 2004, but the attack on the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri on February 14, 2005 triggered the cedar revolution and the withdrawal of the Syrian army . Following the violent protests that followed the killing of Hariri, several more bomb explosions followed, following a similar pattern: most of the explosions occurred at night, in Christian neighborhoods, and often on Fridays. Although the perpetrators behind the attacks are unknown, parts of the Lebanese population and the international community have suspected Syria or its supporters.
Assassination series
Assassination attempt on Marwan Hamadeh
On October 1, 2004, a car bomb exploded next to the motorcade of a Druze member of the National Assembly . Marwan Hamadeh survived injured and his driver was killed. Hamadeh is a critic of Syria and a member of the opposition to President Émile Lahoud .
Assassination attempt on Rafiq al-Hariri
A massive explosion killed the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri on February 14, 2005 near the St. George Hotel in Beirut . Former Minister of Economic Affairs, Bassel Fleihan, and 19 other people were also killed in the attack . About 220 others were injured.
A group calling itself "The Nasra & Jihad Group of Greater Syria" has taken responsibility for the attack. The group was previously unknown. A videotape broadcast by al-Jazeera shows a bearded man believed to be a Palestinian named Ahmad Abu Adas. Ada's apartment was ransacked and he disappeared, although some believe he was forced to admit the conspiracy and was then killed by those who planned the assassination.
According to the report of the United Nations special investigator , the German Detlev Mehlis , published on October 20, 2005, the explosion was the result of a truck bomb. A surveillance camera caught a white Mitsubishi truck that was driving near Harari's motorcade moments before the explosion; Investigators have found this truck to have carried the explosives, which are estimated at 1,000 kg. Since Hariri's column was equipped with jamming systems that block remote control signals, the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber . The report quotes a witness who testified that the bomber was an Iraqi and had been led to believe that its target was Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi , who had been in Beirut a few days earlier.
The report concluded that senior Syrian and Lebanese officials planned the attack from mid-2004.
Bomb attack in New Jdeideh
A car bomb exploded on March 19 in the Beirut suburb of Neu-Jdeideh . Eleven people were injured in the attack in the business and residential district. It was reported that the driver of the car tried to park in front of a bingo arcade but was sent away and parked next to an apartment building.
Bomb explosion in Kaslik
On March 23, a bomb exploded in a leather bag at the back entrance of the Kaslik shopping center in Beirut. Three caretakers , two Indians and one Pakistani were killed and two Sri Lankan people and two Lebanese were injured. The roof of the building collapsed.
Bomb attack in Sad el-Bouchrieh
A car bomb injured six people in the Sad el-Bouchrieh district of Beirut. Several workshops were destroyed in the explosion.
Bomb attack in Broummana
On April 1 , 12 people were injured in a bomb explosion in Broummana , 20 km east of Beirut.
Bomb attack in Jounieh
On May 6, a car bomb exploded between the Christian radio station Sawt al Mahaba and the Mar Yuhanna Church in Jounieh . The radio station was destroyed and the church was seriously damaged. Two people were killed and at least 22 others were injured.
Assassination attempt on Samir Kassir
Anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir was killed by a car bomb in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district on June 2 . The quarter is predominantly inhabited by Christians. Kassir was a columnist for the an-Nahar newspaper who published some of his articles criticizing the pro-Syrian regime.
Assassination attempt on George Hawi
Former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party and critic of Syria, George Hawi, died when his vehicle exploded while driving through Beirut's Wata Musaitbi district on June 21, 2005.
Assassination attempt on Elias Murr
A car bomb injured the resigning Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr on July 12, 2005 when his vehicle drove through the Christian Beirut suburb of Antelias . Two people were killed and several others were injured. This attack is outstanding in the series of bombings, as Murr is seen as pro-Syrian.
Bomb attack on Rue Monot
On July 22nd, a bomb exploded in a car parked outside a restaurant on Rue Monot in Beirut. Twelve people were injured. The size of the bomb was estimated at 25 kg.
Bomb attack in Zalqa
In the predominantly Christian suburb of Zalqa , a bomb exploded between a shopping center and a hotel on August 22nd. Shops and windows were destroyed and eight people were injured. The bomb consisted of 20 to 30 kg of TNT and was triggered by a time fuse .
Bomb attack in Jeitawi
An explosion, presumably caused by a car bomb, rocked the predominantly Christian area around Ashrafieh on September 16, 2005. One person was killed and 23 injured. Two vehicles blew up and nearby buildings were badly damaged.
Assassination attempt on May Chidiac
Christian journalist and critic of Syria May Chidiac was injured by a bomb on September 25 when she got into her car in Jounieh. She lost her left leg and arm. Chidiac was a news anchor for Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation .
Assassination attempt on Gebran Tueni
Well-known anti-Syrian journalist and MP Gebran Tueni was killed by a car bomb on December 12th. He had returned from France just the day before , where he had been for fear of an assassination attempt. Two other people, his driver and a passerby were also killed in the explosion that occurred when his car drove through the Beirut industrial suburb of Mkalles. Another 30 people were injured and at least 10 vehicles were destroyed.
On December 28, 2005, the Lebanese newspaper an-Nahar reported that it had received a letter of confession from a group called "The Fighters for Unity and Freedom in al-Sham," which claims for the death of the previous editor of the Tueni newspaper to be responsible. The letter also said that the outgoing chairman of the United Nations International Independent Commission of Inquiry , German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, was lucky enough to avoid death and threatened his successor with an assassination attempt if he got too close to Syria.
Other bombs
There have been a few minor incidents that are sometimes associated with the series of bombs:
- A bomb under a car in Khaldeh, south of Beirut, injured a person on July 1. It is said that this explosion stems from a family quarrel.
- A bomb placed in journalist Ali Ramez Tohme's car exploded in Mazboud early in the morning of September 15 . Tohme was not injured. The motive could have been an article by Tohme in which he defended Rafiq al-Hariri.
- A minor explosion occurred at the Kuwait Information Office on September 19. One person was killed and two injured.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ United Nations : Mehlis Report (accessed September 11, 2006)
- ↑ United Nations : [1] (accessed September 11, 2006)
- ↑ Associated Press : [2] , date missing