Suleiman: Laqqis' Assassination Part of Israeli Plot to Fuel Sectarian Disputes
President Michel Suleiman condemned on Wednesday the assassination of Hizbullah official Hassan Laqqis, saying it is part of an Israeli plot against Lebanon.
He said in a statement: “The assassination is a new chapter in Israel's attempts to create sectarian strife and target civil peace.”
He therefore called on the Lebanese people to remain diligent and “be aware of the attempts to create strife” in the country.
The president also reiterated the need to distance Lebanon from “the disputes of others in order to maintain peace and stability.”
Suleiman requested from acting Prosecutor General Samir Hammoud to “exert all efforts to uncover the assailants and bring them to justice.”
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati later held talks with caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on the investigations in the assassination, urging that efforts be intensified to uncover the assailants.
“The assassination is aimed at creating a new strife in Lebanon and harming security and stability,” he remarked.
“The judiciary will take its course to reveal the perpetrators,” he added, while offering his condolences to the Hizbullah leadership and Laqqis' family.
Hizbullah official Hajj Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis was assassinated overnight near his residence in Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs.
“Around 12 a.m. overnight Laqqis was assassinated near his house in Sainte Thérèse neighborhood in Hadath while he was on his way back from his work,” a statement issued by Hizbullah's press office said.
It accused Israel of carrying out the assassination, revealing that Laqqis “was subjected several times and in several areas to failed assassination attempts.”
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/108484 |