Gebran Tueni Assassinated in Lebanon
HALA GORANI, CNN HOST (voice-over): More bombs in Beirut. An outspoken newspaper publisher and member of the Lebanese Parliament is killed in a massive car bombing. Who is behind this latest attack and who could be next.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will not surrender. We will not surrender. The criminals continue to kill us one after the other. We will not surrender, whatever the price.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lebanese march outside the offices of "an-Nahar," the newspaper run by Gebran Tueni, accusing Syria of being behind his assassination. Earlier in the day, scenes of grief and shock at the site of his murder. Gebran Tueni was driving to work in Beirut when a massive bomb exploded by the side of the road throwing his car over the railings to the valley below. Tueni was one of the country's most outspoken opponents of Syrian involvement in Lebanon. In an interview just last week, Tueni told me assassination and murder are the Syrian modus operandi in Lebanon.</s>GEBRAN TUENI, ASSASSINATION VICTIM: This is the way they deal with you. You know, this is not the first time they killed a lot of Lebanese leaders and personalities in Lebanon. They assassinated them, they kidnapped them, they imposed by force a lot of things.</s>WEDEMAN: Syria has condemned Tueni's assassination. "No matter what the relationship between Syria and Lebanon, or what Gebran Tueni's attitude toward Syria was," says Syria's information minister, "Syria condemns the killing of Tueni. Syria totally rejects these charges because it is against Syrian policy." (on camera): This is the latest in a series of mysterious attacks against Lebanese critics of Syria. The Syrians, of course, deny any involvement in those attacks, but there is a lesson here: criticize Syria too much and you may pay a very high price. (voice-over): The list of attacks in this year alone is long. In February a huge bomb killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and more than 20 others. George Hawi (ph), former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, was assassinated in May. The following month, a bomb took the life of journalist Samir Kassir. In September, a bomb severely wounded television journalist May Shedak (ph). They and Tueni were opponents of Syria, but no one has been charged in these attacks. At the scene of the blast, one government minister, himself the target of a failed assassination attempt, said he knows who did it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody has any doubt that Bashar al-Assad and his band of organized crime -- criminals -- are behind all this list of crimes.</s>WEDEMAN: Parliament member Walid Jamblatt, self-proclaimed of Syria, says he will be lying low for a while.</s>WALID JAMBLATT, LEBANESE MP: They have a lot of agents in Lebanon. They have a lot of agents that can use car bombs or other devices, so as long as this regime is there in power in Damascus, we won't have peace in Lebanon. That's it.</s>WEDEMAN: This attack coincides with the latest report from the United Nations investigation into the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, which further implicates Syria in Hariri's killing. The report indicates that Syrian documents concerning the Hariri assassination have been destroyed and also accused Syria of being slow to cooperate with the investigation. Following Tueni's assassination, some here are now calling for a broad international investigation into a long and growing list of Lebanese leaders killed under mysterious circumstances going back decades. Tueni's assassination has sparked an outpouring of emotion in Beirut. His death shattered a mood of cautious optimism that, with Syrian forces finally out of Lebanon, stability and prosperity were on the way. Outside Tueni's office, student Ralf Dubass (ph) has setup a simple memorial.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's probably one of the only politicians that talked from his heart and says the truth without being scared of anyone, and that's what I loved about him. And now it's sad that we don't have anyone like that anymore.</s>WEDEMAN: And after so many unsolved murders, many here are now asking who is next. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.</s>GORANI: Well, the bombs and the assassinations have had a political impact; this day the Lebanese cabinet met in emergency session. Ben Wedeman joins us now with the very latest on what came out of that meeting -- Ben.</s>WEDEMAN: Yes, Hala. Well, in precipitated something of a crisis in the Lebanese government. Five Shiite Muslim members of the cabinet have suspended, in their words, their participation in the government as well as one pro-Syrian Christian member as well. They suspended their participation over their disagreement with the decision by the cabinet to call for an investigation with, quote, "an international character" into this series of assassinations against prominent Lebanese critics of Syria involvement in Lebanon, the Syrians. But what is significant is that in fact the Lebanese government is not falling. The cabinet remains in place. And they are going to go ahead with their call for what appears to be another international investigation into these attacks in Lebanon -- Hala.</s>GORANI: So, will this weaken the cabinet enough so that there will be a real political crisis in Lebanon, or does it look like that's been averted -- Ben.</s>WEDEMAN: It looks at this point and, of course, it's very early in the game, that the crisis that was expected has been averted. But that's not to say that in the coming days, as the ramifications of Tueni's assassination become apparent, that that crisis is not going to come sooner rather than later. The anticipation is that really the assassination of Gebran Tueni has set into motion a series of events that could well indeed lead to a political crisis here in Lebanon -- Hala.</s>GORANI: All right, and impacts on many levels. Our Ben Wedeman there covering that story from Beirut. We take a break. When we come back, a friend and a colleague of Gebran Tueni joins us. First though, some more reaction from the streets of Damascus.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think we should ask ourselves about the timing of the crime and who is behind all of these assassinations, especially at a time when Syria is under pressure from the Security Council.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In my own opinion, I think what happened today helped Syria. It shows Syria is innocent, because no one will doubt Syria is not working on improving the situation.</s>GORANI (voice-over): Gebran Tueni was a fixture of Lebanese life, from one of the country's most prominent families. As the publisher of the feisty "an-Nahar" newspaper, he spoke his mind, particularly about Syria.</s>TUENI: Syria was in charge of everything. Syria used to know every movement of anybody. Do you think it has been easy to move 1,000 kilos of TNT?</s>GORANI: Gebran Tueni there in an interview just a few days ago. Gebran Tueni, who died this day in Lebanon. Welcome back. This killing has sent shockwaves through Lebanon, once again. Protests are expected in Beirut over the coming days. Joining us now is the Washington bureau chief of "an-Nahar" newspaper, Hisham Melham. He knew Gebran Tueni and returned from Beirut last night. This must be hitting "an-Nahar" very hard. This is the second colleague of yours that has been killed in the last few months in Lebanon - - Hisham.</s>HISHAM MELHAM, "AN-NAHAR": Hala, this is the time of the assassins in Lebanon. The assassination of Gebran Tueni coming a few months after the assassination of Samir Kassir (ph). It has been a devastating blow not only to journalism in Lebanon, but to free journalism in the Arab world. We lost a dear friend, a colleague and a comrade in the struggle for freedom, dignity and independence and free expression in the Arab world. Gebran Tueni, like his father, Asad Tueni, like Samir Kassir (ph) and others, have been a pillar in "an-Nahar," an institution that has been the beacon for freedom in Lebanon and the Middle East for more than 70 years. It's a devastating blow.</s>GORANI: Had you spoken to him recently?</s>MELHAM: I spoke to him recently. I was in Beirut and he asked me to stay in Beirut. He said, let's get together on Monday, and I reminded him that Mehlis's report, so he laughed and said go to Washington, come back in a month, we'll discuss my upcoming trip to Washington, and he was jovial, as always. I mean, Gebran was full of life and he won't enjoy his twin daughters who were born four or five months ago. I mean, it's -- but Gebran's spirit will remain in Lebanon, as you can see in the Lebanese reaction in the streets, and all Lebanese patriots will continue the struggle that Gebran and Samir and others have led.</s>GORANI: How concerned was he that he was a target? Was he afraid?</s>MELHAM: Absolutely. He was afraid, and that's why he spent the last few months in Paris, and only recently returned to Lebanon briefly. He felt that he can go to Lebanon unannounced and escape the hand of the murderers. I saw a letter that was sent to him by the Mehlis investigation group. A copy was sent to the Lebanese government and a copy sent to him, telling the Lebanese authorities that Gebran Tueni -- that according to a reliable source for the investigation, Gebran Tueni's name is on a hit list that included him and other prominent Lebanese, including the patriarch of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, Cardinal Sfeir. And that's one of the reasons why Gebran went to Paris and that's why Saud al-Hariri (ph) and others went to Paris. And, by the way, that document, it was given to the United States government and to other governments.</s>GORANI: Now, some are saying now how is it possible that the Syrian government is involved, on the day Mehlis submits his second report to the United Nations. Why would the Syrian government do such a thing?</s>MELHAM: Well, I mean, in a way, you're right, because the brazen nature of the attack, it was breathtaking, even by the standards of those killers, and yet yesterday, the day before, we saw the Syrian president telling the world that if sanctions are imposed on Syria, the whole world will pay a price, and probably we've seen what he meant in Lebanon. It is not a coincidence that Samir al-Kassir (ph) and Gebran Tueni and May Sedak (ph) and George Hawi (ph) and Rafik Hariri, all of them were critics of Syria, and the Syrians have created an environment of fear and repression in Lebanon and they are relying on some of their Lebanese friends to do the bidding for them, and they are killing us one after another, all these voices for freedom and independence, as the prime minister said today.</s>GORANI: Hisham, I'd just like to tell our viewers that we have the Syrian ambassador to the United States on this program after we're done speaking with you and we're going to get that perspective as well. Now, the finger has been squarely pointed at Syria by some in Lebanon. Is it your feeling that the Syrian government itself from Damascus is directly responsible? Because the Mehlis report itself doesn't conclude necessarily that there is forensic and direct evidence to substantiate that.</s>MELHAM: Yes, but the Mehlis report speaks clearly about congruence of evidence leading the commission to suspect that a number of senior Syrian officials, as well as Lebanese officials, were involved in the assassination, the planning and the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri. These assassinations that you've seen in the last few months, in addition to bombings, should be seen in the context. The Syrians were forced to withdraw from Lebanon after dominating the country for 30 years. This is a regime that is under siege. This is a regime that believes that it cannot sustain its loss in Lebanon, and they are fighting back and they are flailing, and they have very little concern about the reaction of the international community, and so far they have been somewhat successful in scuttling or undermining the Mehlis investigation, not withstanding a number of U.N. Security Council resolutions to the contrary. This is a rouge regime that is terrorizing its own people in addition to Lebanon.</s>GORANI: Of course, we can't here, Hisham, come to any kind of conclusion on the investigative front. Still, even with regards to what you know, this is still all speculation. We still don't have any kind of proof.</s>MELHAM: We don't have a smoking gun. We can talk about circumstantial evidence. We can talk about a history. We can talk about a context. We can talk about an environment.</s>GORANI: Are you open to the idea that it could be possible that another group is responsible? That within Lebanon, which has become such a fractious political -- the situation is fractious -- other groups might have emerged?</s>MELHAM: In theory, you cannot exclude anything. The point is, this is a very sophisticated operation. These are sophisticated, complex operations that cannot be carried out by individuals, as this fictional group that we heard their names for the first time today. We are talking about a state apparatus or we're talking about a very well-organized group that may be close to Syria. I don't know. The point is, these are not acts by disgruntled individuals or a small group of people. And, again, there is a context, there is a record for Syrian -- such Syrian intervention and repression in Lebanon, and that's why it's no coincidence that the international community is suspicious of Damascus and its intentions in Lebanon. That's why in the same breath when we talk about the assassination of these free voices, people talk about the environment of fear and repression that the Syrians have created in Lebanon, directly and indirectly, for the last three decades.</s>GORANI: One quick last question, Hisham, I mean, presumably the atmosphere in a newspaper like "an-Nahar" now must be really people on tenterhooks, frightened.</s>MELHAM: Absolutely. This is a funeral before the funeral. Everybody now believes that no one has immunity when they kill Rafik Hariri, when they kill Samir Kassir (ph), when they kill Gebran Tueni, and the idea for I think those killers is so silence a voice for freedom and independence that is as powerful as "an-Nahar." Cowing "an-Nahar" means cowing Lebanon, that's why it's extremely important for this newspaper and for the people that are working there now to be cowed by this latest crime against -- not only against a wonderful man, human being and friend, like Gebran Tueni, but against all of us in Lebanon who believe in freedom and independence.</s>GORANI: All right, Hisham Melham, "an-Nahar" Washington bureau chief, a friend and colleague of Gebran Tueni, killed this day in Beirut. We have to take a break. When we come back -- thank you, Hisham -- the Syrian response to all of this. First, the response from the U.S. State Department.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: "I am outraged by the assassination of Gebran Tueni and offer my condolences to his family and those of the other victims of this savage attack. His death is a vicious act of terror against a Lebanese patriot and a voice of freedom. That voice will not be silenced. America will remain steadfast in its support of the Lebanese people."</s>GORANI: The Mehlis Report received a blow earlier this month when a key witness said Lebanon forced him to implicate Syria in the plot to kill Rafik Hariri. On Syrian television, Hussan Hussan (ph) says he was tortured to make a false statement. Syria even called on Mehlis to correct his report. But many in Lebanon, including Gebran Tueni, said the fact that Hussan Hussan (ph) changed his story changed nothing.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Mehlis Report is not based on Hussan Hussan (ph). The Mehlis Report is based on something like 500 witnesses, and Hussan Hussan (ph) is one of them.</s>AMB. IMAD MOUSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMB. TO U.S.: Thank you.</s>GORANI: You heard Hisham Melham, who lost today a colleague -- not only a colleague, but a friend of "an-Nahar" newspaper. He directly pointed a finger at either Syria or groups sympathetic to Syria in Lebanon as having perpetrated this assassination. What is your reaction?</s>MOUSTAPHA: Well, of course I felt upset about these silly accusations. Probably he already knows who has killed whom and he has information that nobody else has. It's not easy to throw information here and there. For 20 years, when all of our troops were still in Lebanon, Hisham Melham was the defender of Syria on the American media channels, back, before, of course, he left his previous newspaper and went to "an-Nahar," and suddenly, as of 18 months ago, he became an outspoken critic of Syria. Syria has left Lebanon categorically and we believe that this atrocious crime that took place today in Lebanon is yet another crime that only wants to target the whole situation in the Middle East and also to target Syria. The timing is no coincidence. In the day that Mehlis released his report, in which he claimed that Syria is trying to intimidate Lebanon, somebody offers him this evidence that Syria is actually trying to intimidate the Lebanese. And that is quite preposterous.</s>GORANI: Who, then? Who then? Why are all of these people critical of Syria being killed?</s>MOUSTAPHA: Look, look, of course, I agree with you, but also someone should have the logic to analyze this. What will Syria gain by this ongoing murderous series of attacks on people who are critical of Syria? Don't you think that this is in a way trying to instigate against Syria, trying to implicate -- can't you see that this will only cause more and more headaches and trouble to Syria? Can't anybody understand that there is a sinister master plan that started with the assassination of Hariri and it will go on. And from time to time somebody will be assassinated and targeted so that the blame can always be pointed to Syria. We believe that this is really horrendous and heinous. This is ugly.</s>GORANI: Mr. Ambassador, Syria has conducted its own investigation. If you say there is a master plan to make Syria look bad, who has designed this master plan?</s>MOUSTAPHA: You know, it's not easy for us to actually say who has done it, because once we know who has done it than the whole mystery about this horrible crime, the assassination of Hariri and all the other crimes, will be resolved. What we are trying to say is, look at the first Mehlis Report. It was mainly based on two -- only two key witnesses. Forget about the hundreds of silly stupid stories by our political opponents in Lebanon. What I'm trying to say, two key witnesses, no one else. One is</s>GORANI: But Ambassador Moustapha, the second Mehlis Report says 19 people are suspected, and they're either from Syria or connected somehow to intelligence in Lebanon --</s>MOUSTAPHA: Yes.</s>GORANI: -- close to Syria. So it's a lot more specific than the first one.</s>MOUSTAPHA: Actually.</s>GORANI: But what people are asking is, who would benefit, because you're saying that Syria wouldn't benefit. So who would?</s>MOUSTAPHA: We know who is benefiting. Those who want to cause trouble to Syria, our enemies, those who have master plans for the whole Middle East are benefiting from this series of crimes. Let me remind you of what happened in today's report. This is so important. Mehlis is leaving. He is not -- he will not be the commissioner in charge of this investigation. Before he leaves, he wants to cause maximum damage to Syria before he leaves. And he comes up with new stories. All the stories in his first report have been undermined. Now he has more stories. This report will be rushed to the Security Council. He will leave by the time and he will probably, I don't know, a potential new resolution might be voted for or voted against -- it's too early to tell now. But I'm trying to tell you, look at the trends. He comes with the stories. The damage is done. By the time these stories are being undermined, the damage is already there. 1636 is already a reality, yet his report was based on two key witnesses who are totally today -- totally -- undermined.</s>GORANI: OK, I'm not going to get you, ambassador, to point me in a direction, then, when you say the enemies of Syria are behind this.</s>MOUSTAPHA: Of course, not only the enemies of Syria. Actually also the enemies of Lebanon. What is happening, these crimes are terrible, they are ugly and they are causing incredible damage to the historical relations between the Lebanese and the Syrian people.</s>GORANI: OK.</s>MOUSTAPHA: Can you imagine the scope of the damage that is happening today in our region?</s>GORANI: All right, Imad Moustapha, thanks. Didn't get you to get specific there, but thank you very much, Ambassador Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador to the United States, for joining us on this edition of INSIGHT. That's it for the program. I'm Hala Gorani. Stay with CNN for the latest on this continuing story out of Lebanon. END TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE THE SECURE ONLINE ORDER FROM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com