Anti-Syria lawmaker killed in Lebanon

BEIRUT —  A Lebanese lawmaker long critical of the Syrian regime was killed Wednesday with his son and eight other people when a bomb exploded near a popular waterfront promenade in Beirut.

The assassination of Walid Eido threatened to further destabilize this small country, which already is paralyzed politically, stretched militarily and suffering economically.

Eido, a 65-year-old lawmaker with the anti-Syria coalition, was driving with his son Khaled and two bodyguards in a predominantly Sunni Muslim part of town when the bomb went off just before 6 p.m., tearing through cafes and ice cream parlors. The explosion blew out windows on the 10th floor of a hotel across the street, sending a shower of glass onto the busy road below.

Security officials said the explosives had either been placed beside the road or rigged to a car.

Eido, a former high court judge, often appeared on television to rail against Syrian interference in Lebanon. He was a fixture on the promenade, often playing cards with friends at the Sporting Club.

The assassination is the latest in a string of attacks against anti-Syria notables in Lebanon but the first of a Sunni politician since the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.

Hariri was a vocal critic of Syria’s dominance of Lebanon, an issue that has contributed to sectarian divisions in the country. His death, widely blamed on Syria, triggered widespread protests that eventually forced the Damascus government to end its military presence here.

The latest attack comes on the heels of the United Nations Security Council’s decision May 30 to establish an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in Hariri’s assassination -- a move opposed by Syria as well as by Shiite Muslim and Christian groups in the Lebanese opposition.

“The fact, timing and context of Eido’s death may all be significant, and surely spell more dark days ahead for Lebanon and the wider Middle East,” wrote analyst Rami G. Khouri in a piece distributed by Agence Global. “The reality is that nobody knows who is behind this killing and other attacks in Lebanon, though all seem increasingly connected in a spiral of political violence that now defines much of the region.”

Saad Hariri, a lawmaker and son of the slain former prime minister, told The Times on Tuesday that, though the near future might prove to be a “hard time,” he was optimistic about his country’s long-term prospects. But, he added, “The problem is in the short term; that’s when we all get killed.”

In addition to Eido, five other prominent anti-Syria figures in Lebanon have been killed since 2005. Damascus has denied involvement.

As anti-Syria politicians accused Damascus of being responsible for the attack Wednesday, the killing also seemed to worsen sectarian tensions in the already fragile country.

“The Syrian regime is killing off our leaders,” Sami Ashi, a youth leader in Hariri’s party, said as he stood outside the American University of Beirut hospital, where the wounded were being treated. “This might create a severe conflict. The Syrians are trying to create a new civil war.”

In November, the assassination of popular Cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian and critic of Syria, set off street fighting between Sunnis and Shiites.

In one neighborhood on Wednesday, Sunni youths talked of forming groups to protect themselves.

“Don’t play with the Sunnis in Lebanon,” said Mohammed Mala, 25. “When the patience runs out, they will burn everything.”

In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora asked the U.N. for help in investigating Eido’s killing, and also called on the Arab League for help. He also accused the opposition of creating instability in the country.

Siniora is living inside his government offices, with the pro-Syrian opposition camped out below in protest.

The government announced a day of mourning and the closure of schools, universities and government offices today.

The Shiite militant group Hezbollah issued a statement condemning the assassination, describing it as one in a “series of terrorist acts that target Lebanon and its stability.”

“The right response is insisting on ... unity,” statement from the Syria-backed group said.

The Lebanese army is locked in a battle with Al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp in the north. Two soldiers were killed Wednesday, bringing to at least 62 the number of troops who have died in more than three weeks of fighting at the Nahr el Bared camp.

Because of the continued strife, tourists have largely stayed away from Lebanon this summer -- dealing a severe blow to an economy already suffering after the 34-day war last year between Israel and Hezbollah.

On Wednesday evening, as the setting sun infused this Mediterranean city with its golden light, soldiers watched a man sweep up broken glass in front of his ice cream parlor near the bombing site. Above the bloodied scene, a Ferris wheel had come to a standstill.

As night fell, thousands of Lebanese soldiers kept tense watch over this city where posters of Shiite clerics compete for space with pictures of Sunni “martyrs.”

Mohammed Mikati, 53, watched gangs of Sunni youths on scooters roam the otherwise deserted streets, mocking Shiites and threatening to enter the Shiite-dominated suburbs.

“This is very dangerous for Lebanon,” he said.

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roug@latimes.com

Special correspondent Raed Rafei contributed to this report.