Starting in 2004, a series of bombings and assassinations struck Lebanon, most of them in and around the capital, Beirut. This wave of bombings began with the assassination attempt on Marwan Hamadeh, then heated up with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005, which touched off the Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of Syrian troops. After the massive protests following Hariri's killing, several more bombings hit Lebanon.
These bombings and assassinations came after September 2004, when the Lebanese Parliament was pressured by Syria to extend the term of Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud through a constitutional amendment.[1] The MPs, journalists, and activists that opposed this term extension were subject to slander, harassment and, in many cases, assassination attempts.
Marwan Hamadeh assassination attempt
On October 1, 2004, a car bomb exploded next to the motorcade carrying Druze MP Marwan Hamadeh. Hamadeh was injured, but survived; his driver was killed. Hamadeh was a critic of Syria and a member of the opposition to President Émile Lahoud.
Rafiq Hariri assassination
A massive explosion on February 14, 2005, killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut, near the St. George Hotel. Also killed was the former Minister of the Economy, Bassel Fleihan, and 19 other people. About 220 others were wounded.
A group calling itself "The Nasra & Jihad Group in Greater Syria" claimed responsibility for the blast. The group had not been heard from before. A tape aired by Al Jazeera showed a bearded man, believed to be a Palestinian named Ahmad Abu Adas, claiming the attack. Adas' apartment was raided but he remains missing; however, it is now thought he was forced to admit to the plot and was killed by those who planned the assassination.According to the United Nations report by Detlev Mehlis, released October 20, 2005, the blast was the result of a truck bomb. A security camera captured a white Mitsubishi truck driving near Hariri's convoy moments before the blast; investigators determined this truck carried the explosives, estimated at 1,000 kg. Since Hariri's convoy had jamming devices meant to block remote control signals, the attack was carried out using a suicide bomber. The report cited a witness who said the bomber was an Iraqi who was led to believe his target was Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who had been in Beirut just days before
The report concluded that top Syrian and Lebanese officials planned the assassination beginning in mid-2004.
New Jdeideh bombing
A car bomb exploded in the New Jdeideh suburb of Beirut on March 19, 2005. The blast happened in a part-commercial, part-residential area, and wounded eleven people. Reports said that the driver had tried to park it in front of a bingo hall, and was turned away, so he parked it next to an apartment.
Kaslik bombing
On March 23 a bomb left in a leather bag exploded at the back entrance of the Kaslik shopping center in Jounieh. Two Indian and one Pakistan janitorwere killed, and two Sri Lankans and two Lebanese injured. The roof of the mall collapsed.
Sad el-Bouchrieh bombing
On March 26, a car bomb parked between two factories exploded in the Sad el-Bouchrieh area of Beirut, wounding six people. It caused a blaze which destroyed several workshops.
Broummana bombing
On April 1, a bomb ripped through the Rizk plaza in the Broummana resort village, 20 km (12 mi) east of Beirut. Twelve people were injured.
Jounieh bombing
On May 7, a car bomb exploded between the Christian Sawt al Mahaba radio station and the Mar Yuhanna Church in Jounieh. The radio station was destroyed and the church suffered major damage. Twenty-two people were wounded.
Samir Kassir assassination
Anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir was assassinated on June 2 when a bomb detonated in his car outside his home in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district, a largely Christian residential area. Kassir was a front-page columnist for the al-Nahar newspaper, where he wrote columns criticizing the pro-Syrian regime.
George Hawi assassination
George Hawi, former Lebanese Communist Party leader and a critic of Syria, died when his car exploded as he was driving through Beirut's Wata Musaitbi district on June 21.
Elias Murr assassination attempt
A car bomb wounded the outgoing Lebanese defense minister, Elias Murr, as his motorcade drove through Beirut's Christian suburb of Antelias on July 12. Two people were killed and injuring 12 others. This attack was unique in the series of bombings in that Murr was considered a pro-Syrian figure.
Monot bombing
On July 22, a bomb exploded in a car parked in front of a restaurant on Monot Street in Beirut, wounding twelve people. The bomb was estimated to be 50 lb.
Zalka bombing
In the mostly Christian neighborhood of Zalka, on August 22, a bomb placed between a shopping center and a hotel damaged shops and windows, wounding eight people. It consisted of 20 to 30kg of TNT and was set on a timer.
Ali Ramez Tohme attempt
A bomb placed the car of Ali Ramez Tohme, a journalist and president of the Dar al-Haitham for Journalism, Printing and Press, exploded early on September 15 in the area of Mazboud. Tohme was not injured. The motive may have been a recent article by Tohme defending Rafiq Hariri.
Jeitawi bombing
An explosion, believed caused by a car bomb, rocked the largely Christian area of Ashrafieh on September 17. One person was killed and 23 injured. Two cars were blown up and buildings near the blast were severely damaged.
May Chidiac assassination attempt
Christian journalist and critic of Syria May Chidiac was seriously injured when a bomb exploded as she got into her car in Jounieh on September 25. She lost her left leg and arm. Chidiac was ananchor on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.
Gebran Tueni assassination
A prominent anti-Syrian journalist and lawmaker, Gebran Tueni, was killed by a car bomb on 12 December 2005. He had returned from France only a day earlier, where he had been staying for fear of assassination. Two other people were killed—his driver and a passerby—when a car bomb exploded as his motorcade drove through Mkalles, an industrial suburb of Beirut. Another 30 people were wounded in the bombing, and at least 10 vehicles were destroyed.
On 28 December 2005 Lebanese newspaper An Nahar reported that it had received a statement signed by "The Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom in al Sham," the group that claimed responsibility for the death of its former editor Gebran Tueni with a car bomb on 12 December 2005. The statement said outgoing UNIIIC chairman Mehlis was lucky to escape death and threatened any new chairman with assassination if he too implicated Syria.
2006
Layal Najib
Layal Najib, a freelance photographer for the Lebanese magazine Al Jaras and Agence France-Presse was killed as a result of Israeli missile attack on 23 July 2006 while she was travelling insouthern Lebanon.[16]
Pierre Amine Gemayel
Pierre Amine Gemayel, anti-Syrian MP, son of Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel, nephew of assassinated President Bashir Gemayyel, and Minister of Industry at the time was shot dead in Beirut on 21 November 2006.
2007
Walid Eido
Walid Eido, another anti-Syrian MP, was killed by a car bomb on 13 June 2007, along with eight others, including his eldest son Khaled Eido.
Antoine Ghanem assassination
Anti-Syrian Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem and four others were killed in a car bomb attack in a Christian suburb of Beirut on September 19, 2007.
Francois Elias Hajj assassination
Brigadier General François al-Hajj from the village of Rmaich was killed in a car bomb attack in Baabda, along with three other people, on December 12, 2007.
2008
Wissam Eid assassination
Capt. Wissam Eid, Lebanese Internal Security Forces senior terrorism investigator was assassinated on January 25, 2008. At the time of assassination, Eid was also Top Lebanese Investigator into the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Tripoli bombing
On August 13, 2008, sixteen people, including seven Lebanese soldiers, were killed by a bomb targeting a civilian bus in Tripoli.
Saleh Aridi assassination
A pro-Syrian Druze politician of the Lebanese Democratic Party, Saleh Aridi, was killed in a car bomb on September 10, 2008.
Second Tripoli bombing
On September 29, 2008, five people, including five soldiers, were killed, and 35 were injured, by a car bomb which destroyed a bus in Tripoli.
2012
Wissam al Hassan Assassination
19 October 2012, head of the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan was killed in a massive car bomb in Achrafieh, 128 were injured and 3 others died.
2013
Beir el-Abed Bombing
9 July 2013, a car bomb exploded in the district of Beir el-Abed that lies in southern Beirut. Approximately 50 people were wounded in the attack. The attack took place in a Hizballah stronghold, and the bombing is widely believed to be in retaliation to Hizballah's involvement in the Syrian Civil War.
Roueiss Bombing
15 August 2013, 27 people were killed and over 300 injured in an attack that targeted the Roueiss neighbourhood in south Beirut. The attack is believed to have been carried out through a car bomb. Similar to the Beir el-Abed bombing, this attack targeted a Hizballah stronghold.
Pre-Lahoud Term Extension
All the assassinations and bombings listed above occurred in the aftermath of the forced term extension of the pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud in September 2004. The events listed below had nothing to do with the extension of Emile Lahoud's Presidential term, and most of them occurred long before.
1951
- 1951, July 17 - Several months after leaving office, Lebanon's first post-independence Prime Minister Riad al-Solh was assassinated in Amman, Jordan by a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
1975
- 1975, March 6 - The Sunni politician and Sidon leader Maarouf Saad died. He was shot down on February 26, 1975 during a demonstration in Sidon. His death is considered to be a partial trigger for the start of the civil war.
1977
- 1977, March 16 - Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt killed close to his home in the Chouf area. Though it has not been proved in court, the assassination is largely blamed on Syria.
1979
- 1978, June 13 - Tony Franjieh, son of former president Suleiman Franjieh killed in his own house by militiamen of the Lebanese Kataeb party. This incident is known as Ehden massacre.
1982
- 1982, September 14 - President-elect Bashir Gemayel killed by Habib Shartouni, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. His brother Amin Gemayel became president of Lebanon instead.
1983
- 1983, April 18 - The American Embassy in Beirut was bombed. 63 people, including 17 Americans lost their lives in this attack.
- 1983, October 23- The Beirut barracks bombing killed more than 200 American and French armed forces personnel.
1985
- 1985, March 8- More than 80 were killed and 200 injured in a blast in the city.
1987
- 1987, June 1 - Prime Minister Rashid Karami killed by bomb during a helicopter flight.
1989
- 1989, May 16 - Head of Sunni community in Lebanon, Mufti Sheikh Hassan Khaled killed by car bomb in Beirut. The assassination is largely blamed on Syria.
- 1989, November 22 - President René Mouawad, the second President of Lebanon to be killed by Syria was killed by a car bomb, three weeks after becoming president.
1990
- 1990, October 21 - Leader of the National Liberal Party Dany Chamoun shot dead in suburb of Beirut.
1992
- 1992, February 16 - Leader of Hezbollah Abbas al-Musawi killed by Israel in Jibsheet, a town in the South of Lebanon.
2002
- 2002, January 24 - Former Lebanese Forces intelligence officer, Syrian ally, former Lebanese government minister and member of parliament, and one of the planners of the Sabra and Shatilamassacre, Elie Hobeika was assassinated on January 24, 2002 car bombing in the Beirut suburb of Hazmieh.
in the end we say: where were are we going to? and what next... now everyday waking up on bombs... day by day, saying today we wake up but tomorrow we don't...this religion wars: what next?!?!
