Anti-Syrian politician assassinated in Beirut

A BOMB killed an anti-Syrian politician yesterday in Beirut - the second such assassination in three weeks.

The killing of George Hawi, 67, has fuelled opposition fears that Damascus and its Lebanese allies are hitting their enemies in a bid to restore their fading authority.

Former Communist Party leader Mr Hawi was killed by an explosion under his seat as he was being driven through west Beirut. It came as the anti-Syrian opposition was preparing to take power after winning a parliamentary majority in the staggered elections that ended on Sunday.

The assassination was condemned internationally as an attack on Lebanon's quest to break free from Syrian domination after Damascus ended a 29-year military presence in the country in April.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she did not know who was responsible, but "there is a context and an atmosphere of instability" in Lebanon.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "was appalled to learn of yet another assassination in Lebanon", UN spokesperson Fred Eckhard said.

In Lebanon, opposition figures quickly blamed Syrian agents and their allies in the Lebanese security services for the assassination, as they did for the June 2 killing of anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir and the February 14 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Anti-Syrian politicians have circulated reports that Syria has drawn up a hit list in Lebanon. Syria has denied such reports, and it condemned Mr Hawi's killing.

Opposition leader Walid Jumblatt implicitly accused Lebanon's pro-Syrian president and security agencies. Mr Jumblatt said the agencies must be "completely purged".

Another opposition leader, Saad Hariri, son of the murdered Rafik, said the bombing was "part of a series of assassinations targeting leading national personalities in Lebanon."

President Emile Lahoud condemned the killing, and rejected opposition charges that he is directly responsible for the security services.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati blamed "conspirators", saying every time Lebanon takes a step forward, something happens to try to destabilise it.

The bomb that killed Mr Hawi was detonated by remote control like the bomb that killed Mr Kassir in his car nearly three weeks ago.

A worker at a nearby car dealership said he heard the blast and ran to the car. Mr Hawi's driver, slightly wounded, had gone round to the passenger door and the two men tried to lift Mr Hawi out.

"Hawi was still alive and told the two of us, 'help me, help me.' His face was bloodied, his abdomen was badly injured. Then he died," the worker said.

The blast came as UN investigators questioned the pro-Syrian head of Lebanon's Presidential Guards over the Hariri assassination.