Lebanon blast: Car bombing in Beirut kills eight A huge car bomb has killed at least eight people and injured 78 in Beirut, Lebanese state media report. The explosion occurred in Sassine Square, a busy part of the mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya in the centre of the capital. Ambulances have been seen rushing to square. Witnesses say the blast was heard several kilometres away. The intended target is unclear. Tensions in Lebanon have been rising as a result of the conflict in Syria. No group has said it carried out Friday's attack - the first major bombing in Beirut since 2008. The attack took place during rush hour, at a time when many parents were picking up children from school. Cars were set on fire and TV footage showed considerable damage to buildings. The explosion occurred about 200m (650ft) from the headquarters of the Kataeb, better known as the Phalange, a Maronite Christian group. The general secretariat of the Western-backed 14 March coalition of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is also based there. An MP from the alliance, Michel Pharaon, told al-Jazeera TV: "I think Ashrafiya is a target, and 14 March is a target. This region is symbolic because it is in the heart of the capital and it is a Christian neighbourhood." Nearby hospitals are calling for people to donate blood to help treat the wounded. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20006389 Caroline Anning BBC News Sassine Square is in the heart of east Beirut's Ashrafiya district. It is a trendy area of shops and cafes, close to the popular ABC shopping mall. The American University of Science and Technology is just down the road and a number of Lebanon's major banks have offices there. It is a predominately Christian area, but a whole spectrum of Lebanese visit Sassine to drink coffee in the pavement cafes, people-watch at ABC and eat at the local fast-food restaurants. On a Friday afternoon, it is likely to have been full of cars and people. Ashrafiya is not an area prone to flare-ups of violence or political tension, although the offices of the March 14 opposition alliance and Christian Kataeb (Phalange) party are close by. This car-bomb attack, targeting a normally peaceful square in broad daylight, is bound to spread fear of a return to violence after four years of relative calm.
Ashrafiya, that's where my arabic classes were held...For those of you who don't know, East Beirut is commonly referred to as the Christian side of Lebanon, West Beirut is comprised of mostly Sunni's with Shiites living further south and around Beirut (many in refugee camps).
The target might've been Wissam al-Hassa. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...lls-top-intelligence-official?lite&ocid=msnhp [rquoter]Among the dead was Wissam al-Hassan, the head of a Lebanese intelligence agency who had also uncovered a recent bomb plot that led to the arrest of a pro-Syrian Lebanese politician, a Lebanese official said. Al-Hassan was a close aide to Hariri, a Sunni Muslim who was killed in a 2005 bomb attack in downtown Beirut. Al-Hassan's investigation into Hariri's death uncovered evidence that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the killing.[/rquoter]
Par for the course. This has been going on for decades now. Any anti-Syrian politician is always at risk. Despite the fact that Christians are mandated by the constitution to control the government, they're basically forced to be Syrian pawns or risk assassination. Syria is the biggest destabilizing force in Syria.
