Top official among at least 8 killed in explosion in Beirut
The numerous political parties and factions in Lebanon are to a large extent delineated by their relationship with the Syrian government, and the support from within Lebanon to the Syrian rebels or government has been both implicit and explicit, as has the opposition. Since the start of the uprising in Syria, there have been fears that the conflict would spill over into neighboring Lebanon. The explosion in East Beirut today has fueled those fears dramatically.
Although the attack was initially thought (or simply said) to be 'non-political', it is now known that a top intelligence official, Wissam al-Hassan, was among those killed in the blast. al-Hassan was well-known as the leader of an investigation into a Lebanese politician accused of planning attacks within Lebanon with the support of two Syrian officials. It is estimated that at least 7 others were killed in the attack, along with dozens injured.
There will doubtless be speculation in the next few hours and days into who is responsible for the attack, but all of this is guesswork and assumptions before an investigation takes place. Even then, however, there's no guarantee that we'll know for certain who the perpetrators are, or on whose orders they're acting.
The numerous political parties and factions in Lebanon are to a large extent delineated by their relationship with the Syrian government, and the support from within Lebanon to the Syrian rebels or government has been both implicit and explicit, as has the opposition. Since the start of the uprising in Syria, there have been fears that the conflict would spill over into neighboring Lebanon. The explosion in East Beirut today has fueled those fears dramatically.
Although the attack was initially thought (or simply said) to be 'non-political', it is now known that a top intelligence official, Wissam al-Hassan, was among those killed in the blast. al-Hassan was well-known as the leader of an investigation into a Lebanese politician accused of planning attacks within Lebanon with the support of two Syrian officials. It is estimated that at least 7 others were killed in the attack, along with dozens injured.
There will doubtless be speculation in the next few hours and days into who is responsible for the attack, but all of this is guesswork and assumptions before an investigation takes place. Even then, however, there's no guarantee that we'll know for certain who the perpetrators are, or on whose orders they're acting.
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