Bombing in Lebanon Wounds Cabinet Minister
Posted on: Friday, 1 October 2004, 06:00 CDT
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A car bomb exploded Friday in central Beirut, wounding a former Lebanese Cabinet minister and killing his driver, officials said.
Former Economy Minister Marwar Hamadeh reportedly suffered minor wounds and was in stable condition. His political party had him resign from the government last month to protest Syrian interference in Lebanese political affairs.
It was not clear in Hamadeh was the target of the blast. The explosion occurred near the American Community School and the International College, both U.S. organizations, a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Security officials sealed off the area as firefighters struggled to extinguish the fire caused by the explosion. Several parked cars in the area were damaged and broken glass from nearby buildings littered the street.
Hamadeh is a member of Druse leader Walid Jumblatt's parliamentary bloc, which last month voted against extending pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud's term for another years.
The Al Manar television quoted an official in Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party as saying that Hamadeh suffered "minor injuries" in the explosion.
Syria is the main power broker in Lebanon and has based thousands of troops here since the early stages of the 1975-90 civil war. Jumblatt is an ally of Syria but rejected Damascus' decision to support the extension of Lahoud's mandate.
The United States and United Nations opposed Syria's perceived interference in Lebanon and called for the election of a new Lebanese president.
Jumblatt, a former warlord and Cabinet minister, has urged Syria to stop interfering in internal Lebanese affairs. He withdrew Hamadeh and two other ministers from the Lebanese Cabinet last month to protest the extension of Lahoud's term.
Car bombings were frequent during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, in which more than 150,000 people died.
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