Lebanon's latest bomb attack adds to worry, pessimism

Dec 13, 2007, 12:39 GMT

Beirut - The car bomb attack that killed a senior Lebanese army commander on Wednesday has added to the worry and pessimism for people in the country suffering a deep political division that has brought the fear of another civil war.

The streets of the capital Beirut were deserted early Thursday in contrast to the usual morning rush hour. Many people stood at newspaper stands looking at pictures of the blast while others discussed the situation in the country over their morning coffee at sidewalk cafes.

The explosion in the Christian Beirut suburb of Baabda that killed Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj was the first of such strikes against a Lebanese army official. Al-Hajj had been considered a probable replacement for the head of the military, General Michel Suleiman, who has been named a likely candidate for the presidency.

Those exercising in the city's seaside area, looked depressed and articulated their pessimism in the future of the country enduring a time of political uncertainty and fear. The recurrence of the politically motivated bomb attacks appears to have left many with no hope.

'People are numb after this ugly attack on a Lebanese army officer,' said Bahij Sinno.

'Every three months we have a new explosion that kills one prominent Lebanese figure ... but people the next day go out and carry on with my their regular business,' said Mahmoud Aliah, 29, said.

'What frightens me is that people are getting accustomed to this life ... But this is wrong, instead of going to work we have to take the streets and protest to make our leaders know that we are awake and will make them accountable for each security breach in the country,' he said.

'I have no faith any more in our leaders, ' said Sana Hashem, as she was jogging to erase what she described as the 'ugly pictures' she saw on Lebanese television of Wednesday's blast.

'There are many people, in the government or Syria or whoever, that just don't want a president for Lebanon. They benefit more from the way the country exists now, which is in chaos,' said Hashem.

'The Lebanese feel now more insecure with the army being targeted,' she added.

'The best thing for us, Lebanese, is to ask our leaders to quit and leave the new generation to rule this country,' said Hanan Hnein.

'I am really thinking of leaving this beautiful country and going back to Canada,' the mother of three who lived outside Lebanon during its 1975-1990 civil war, said.

'We have to focus on the needs of our daily lives the long hours of electricity blackout, lack of water, rising prices and unemployment, instead of watching the news,' Hanan added.

Lebanese seem fed up with leaders from rival political camps whom they accuse of not been able to solve the deadlock on the election of a new president, always having to count on outside powers, like the United States, Europe, Syria and Iran.

As a result of the power struggle between the western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and the opposition, which is led by Iran and Syria's ally Hezbollah, the country has been without a president since Emile Lahoud's term ended on November 23.

The latest stumbling point between the two sides has been the question of how to amend the constitution to allow Suleiman, who services a public post, to become a president.

On Tuesday, parliament again postponed to vote for an eighth time since September 25 as the bickering continued.

'Frankly, I do not care if they elect a president any more ... all Lebanese have lost hope after Wednesday's blast,' said Jean Karam, a resident of the area where the car bomb exploded, killing al-Hajj and his bodyguard and injuring several others.