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Lebanon mourns slain army chief | Lebanon mourns slain army chief |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Funeral ceremonies have taken place in Lebanon for Gen Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of operations who was assassinated on Wednesday. | Funeral ceremonies have taken place in Lebanon for Gen Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of operations who was assassinated on Wednesday. |
Politicians from both sides of the political divide attended the service, and an honour guard played sombre music as people lined the streets in tribute. Gen Hajj was the latest in a series of Lebanese public figures to be murdered, but the first from the military. | |
The authorities have said three men are being questioned about the killing. | |
The Lebanese Defence Minister, Elias Murr, has said the police investigation has generated "serious leads". | |
On Thursday, US President George W Bush warned Syria against interfering in Lebanon, but he did not accuse Damascus of involvement in the general's murder. | |
'Blood message' | |
Gen Hajj's coffin was taken from the mortuary to his family home in Beirut's eastern suburb of Baabda early on Friday. | Gen Hajj's coffin was taken from the mortuary to his family home in Beirut's eastern suburb of Baabda early on Friday. |
LEBANESE ASSASSINATIONS Feb 2005: Ex-PM Rafik HaririApril 2005: MP Bassel FleihanJune 2005: Anti-Syria journalist Samir KassirJune 2005: Ex-Communist leader George HawiDec 2005: Anti-Syria MP Gebran TueniNov 2006: Industry Minister Pierre GemayelJune 2007: Anti-Syria MP Walid EidoSep 2007: Anti-Syria MP Antoine GhanimDec 2007: Army Gen Francois al-Hajj class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7140104.stm">In pictures: Beirut blast class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7140724.stm">Bombing deepens anxieties class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7142014.stm">Media split on killing | |
Hundreds of local residents clapped and threw rose petals as his coffin, draped in the Lebanese flag, was carried by army officers through the town. | |
It was then moved to the Maronite cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, in the hills north of the capital, for a funeral mass that was attended by politicians from across the political divide, along with foreign diplomats. | |
The mass was led by the Maronite patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, who deplored the continued killings and said Lebanon was living a nightmare. | |
"It is not just about an officer, but about a nation thrown into the wilderness," he told mourners at the service. | |
"Assassinations have continued without mercy for three years and today, the hand of treachery has reached the army and its brave leaders," he added. | |
Gen Hajj had been tipped to become the next head of the armed forces. | |
Military personnel were out in force for their commander's funeral | |
The army's chief of staff, Maj Gen Shawki Masri, said that "blood messages", such as Gen Hajj's murder, were meant to weaken the foundations of Lebanon and called on the country's political and sectarian groups to work together. | |
"In unity, we will have the strength and we can achieve the impossible," he said. | |
A message from Pope Benedict XVI was also read out, in which he condemned the "unjustified violence" and called for reconciliation. | |
After the funeral, Gen Hajj's body was taken to southern Lebanon for burial in his family's home village of Rmeish, near the border with Israel. | |
A national day of mourning was also declared on Friday, with all schools and universities closed and flags flown at half mast. | |
Postponed vote | Postponed vote |
Gen Hajj was killed in a car bomb attack in Baabda, close to the presidential palace and ministry of defence, on Wednesday morning. | |
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said he believed the assassination was an attempt to disrupt efforts to solve the long-running problem of choosing a new president. | |
Gen Hajj had been tipped to become head of the army | |
Gen Hajj had been tipped to take over as head of the armed forces if, as expected, its current chief, Gen Michel Suleiman, is elected to succeed former President Emile Lahoud to break a political impasse. | |
The pro-West governing bloc and pro-Syrian opposition, led by Hezbollah, agree on Gen Suleiman's candidacy, but they cannot agree on how to amend the constitution to allow him to stand and on the make-up of a new government. | |
Mr Lahoud left office on 24 November, and earlier this week lawmakers postponed the presidential vote for an eighth time until Monday. | |
Gen Hajj was also chief of operations when the army fought Islamist militants from Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli earlier this year. | |
About 400 people, mainly militants and soldiers, died in the violence, and some 40,000 people were displaced. | |
However, correspondents say it is questionable whether the militants would have the means to carry out a targeted attack in such a high security area. | |
Critics have also blamed Syria for a number of the high-profile political assassinations in Lebanon in the past two years. Damascus has denied involvement in all them. |