Beirut bomb blast kills former premier

RAFIK HARIRI, a billionaire who helped rebuild his country after decades of war but resigned as Lebanese prime minister last fall after a sharp dispute with Syria, was killed yesterday in a massive bomb explosion that tore through his motorcade.

At least nine other people were killed and 100 wounded in the blast. It raised immediate fears that Lebanon largely peaceful since the 1990 end of its civil war was headed toward a new and bloody chapter in its differences with Syria, which has about 15,000 troops in the country.

At least 20 cars were set on fire in a blast that devastated the front of the famous St George Hotel, blowing off balconies, and damaged a British bank and the Phoenicia Hotel along the Mediterranean waterfront.