NOVANEWS
At least six dead and over 70 wounded as Syria conflict penetrates Lebanon’s borders
– Common Dreams staff
A Lebanese army soldier gestures as he runs near the site of the explosion in Beirut’s downtown area December 27, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Steve Crisp)A powerful bomb explosion in central Beirut on Friday killed former Lebanese minister Mohamad Chatah, a prominent pro-Western politician and outspoken opponent of Hezbollah and the Syrian Bashar al-Assad regime.At least five additional people were killed and over 70 wounded in an attack likely to deepen tensions in a country already on edge as the ongoing conflict in neighboring Syria spreads.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which created a scene of mayhem in an upscale downtown area.
Chatah, 62, was a former finance minister and a senior aide to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri who also served a stint as ambassador to the United States. At the time of his death he was a member of the pro-West March 14 political coalition, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar and strongly opposes Hezbollah and supports forces opposing Syrian President Assad.
