USA: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton condemns Pierre Gemayel assassination and calls on neighbouring countries to support Lebanese government

Shortly after Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday (November 21), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton called on states in the region to support the Lebanese government and assist in an investigation to find those behind the killing. Gunmen opened fire as his convoy drove through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood, witnesses said. Gemayel, who was in his 30s, was rushed to hospital where he later died of his wounds. The killing is certain to deepen a political crisis pitting the anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah. "We are confronted with what appears to be yet another terrorist assassination in Beirut. It's a very great tragedy and it's certainly our thoughts are with the family of Pierre Gemayel. But this also makes clear that we have to support the democratic forces in Lebanon against this politically motivated assassination. This is not the way to change a government," Bolton told reporters on his way to a Security Council meeting at the United Nations. "We strongly support the Siniora government and all the democratic forces in Lebanon. We call on all states in the region to support the democratic government and to urge everyone's cooperation in finding the assassins of Pierre Gemayel as soon as possible," Bolton added. Gemayel, a member of the Christian Phalange Party and industry minister, was the son of former President Amin Gemayel. His uncle Bashir Gemayel was killed in September 1982 after he was elected as president during Israel's invasion of Lebanon. Pierre, like his father and late uncle, was an opponent of the influence of Syria in Lebanon, who many Lebanese blame for the February 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Hariri's son Saad, who is parliamentary majority leader, interrupted a news conference to announce the shooting of Gemayel, and told reporters he believes Syria is behind the assassination. Asked about Syria's involvement, Bolton said, "I think the facts need to be developed but if you look at the reports of (unclear) and (Serge) Brammertz over the months, the evidence that links the Hariri assassination to the other political assasinations ... I think people can draw their own conclusions." Although Damascus denies involvement in the killing of Hariri in a suicide truck bombing last year, many Lebanese blame Syria. A U.N. commission investigating the assassination has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian security officials. Gemayel, elected to parliament in 2000 and again in 2005, is the first anti-Syrian politician to be killed since Gebran Tueni, who was assassinated in a car bomb blast on December 12, 2005.

ITN Source | November 22, 2006

Tags:. .terrorist. .prime. .certainly. .crisis. .witnesses