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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 

Next head of the Lebanese army killed

The man who was expected to be the next head of the Lebanese army has been killed in a car bomb in Beirut.


Brigadere General Francois Hajj was likely to replace Michel Suleiman. Hajj is a 'pro-Syrian', and was in charge of the assault on the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp during the summer. He made enemies when he led the battles with the Hariri-funded anti-Syrian group Fateh Al Islam.

The pro/anti divide may be petty and false, but it is interesting how none of the agencies have referred to Hajj as pro-Syrian. In the reporting of any other killing, the victim is always referred to as anti-Syrian.

Hariri funded Fateh Al Islam as a Sunni/anti-Syrian counterweight to the Shia Hizbollah. But then Fateh Al Islam went out of control, and the army was sent in to put an end to their violence.

This is the first attack on the army in the recent spate of killings, which has generally been seen as apolitical.

About me

  • Written by sasa
  • From Damascus, Syria
  • From Damascus to London via Beirut. Based in and out of the central Damascene hamlet of Saroujah. News and feelings from the streets every day. I'm talking rubbish? Leave a comment. Welcome to the information democracy. See below for info about this site.
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