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 06 September 2008 03:54 BST

Thousands mourn slain Lebanese MP

Friday, 21 Sep 2007 11:58
Thousands of Lebanese mourners take to streets of Beirut for funeral of assassinated anti-Syrian MP Antoine Ghanem
Thousands of mourners have taken to the streets of Beirut for the funeral of assassinated Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem.

The anti-Syrian politician was among five people killed in a car bomb in the Middle Eastern country's capital on Thursday.

His coffin was taken by pallbearers through massed crowds brandishing Lebanese flags to the Furn el-Sheback district of Beirut and later the Sacre Coeur church where his funeral took place.

The Lebanese government has declared a day of national mourning over the 64-year-old's death, with banks and schools among public institutions closed.

His murder has reduced the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority ahead of presidential elections next week.

Lebanon's information minister Ghazi Aridi commented: "We do not fear terrorism and this will not break our will.

"It will only reinforce our determination to prevent the terrorists from succeeding."

A string of pro-western MPs have been killed in Lebanon since former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri was assassinated three years ago.

Last November, Pierre Gemayel, the son of the leader of the Phalange party that Mr Ghanem belonged to, was killed in a similar attack in Sin el-Fil.

And earlier this year another anti-Damascus figure, MP Walid Eido, died along with nine others in a car bomb attack in Beirut.

Syria has denied any involvement in the death of any Lebanese politicians since Mr al-Hariri was killed, while parties ranging from the UN to pro-Syrian Lebanese group Hizbullah have condemned Mr Ghanem's murder.End of story


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