Assassination of Pierre Amine Gemayel
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| Assassination of Pierre Amine Gemayel | |
|---|---|
| Part of The Attacks linked to the Cedar Revolution | |
 Gemayel's car after the assassination | |
| Location | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Date | November 21, 2006 3:20 p.m. (EET) |
| Target |  Pierre Amine Gemayel X |
Attack type | Shooting |
| Deaths | 2, including Gemayel and his bodyguard, Samir Chartouni |
| Perpetrator |  Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom of al-Sham |
| Motive | Gemayel's opposition to the Syrian occupation of Lebanon |
On 21 November 2006, Pierre Amine Gemayel, the Lebanese minister of Industry and member of parliament, was shot fatally by three unknown gunmen allegedly linked to the SSNP.[1] The motive for the attack was Gemayel's opposition to Syria's 29 year occupation of Lebanon. He had been an essential part of the Cedar Revolution, which drove the Syrian Arab Armed Forces out of Lebanon.[2] Gemayel was the fifth prominent anti-Syrian figure to be killed in Lebanon in two years.[3]
Syria had occupied Lebanon since 1976, after being invited by Lebanese President Suleiman Frangieh.[4] After 30 years, and following the assassination of Lebanese Prime minister Rafic Hariri, the Lebanese people, in collaboration with the March 14 Alliance, led the Syrians out of Lebanon in the Cedar Revolution. Following their withdrawal, Syrian forces assassinated 13 high ranking Lebanese figures in 2005 alone, Gemayel being the only one in 2006.[5]
Event
Gemayel was visiting his electoral district of Metn, in Jdeideh that day.[6] Gemayel was assassinated in a more brazen manner than used in the past: gunmen killing in broad daylight, rather than anonymous car bombs detonated remotely. His driver, who escaped the attack unhurt, rushed Gemayel to St Joseph's Hospital, where he was declared dead.[7] His bodyguard, Sameer Chartouni, was also killed in the attack.[8]
Perpetrators
Gemayel's killers issued a communique in which they referred to themselves as the Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom of al-Sham. They said that they killed Gemayel because he was "one of those who unceasingly spouted their venom against Syria and against Hezbollah, shamelessly and without any trepidation". Those allegations could point the fingers at the Syrian Social Nationalist Party that has a long history of political assassinations in Lebanon.[9][10]
A report by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah alleged that an editor from the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency contacted a Lebanese pro-Syrian newspaper 55 minutes prior to the assassination to inquire about the murder. The story claims the SANA reporter called back 10 minutes later to apologize for the original call. Al Seyassah stated it did not name the Lebanese newspaper to protect its identity.[11]
Lebanese law requires the dissolution of the government if one third of the 24-member Cabinet resign or become unavailable. It has been speculated that Gemayel's assassination was an attempt by pro-Syrian groups to reach the required third, and so force the current Government from power. With the recent resignation of six Hezbollah MPs from the Cabinet, added to Gemayel's death, the resignation or death of only two more ministers would topple the government. Others from the close circle of Pierre Gemayel would speculate that his fast political ascension had bothered many local powers mainly Syria's regime allies.[12]
Others have, however, put forward many conspiracy theories regarding the murder such as a possible false flag operation.[13] Many have questioned Syria's interest in targeting the Christian society as that could have the effect of destabilising a rival Christian party, namely Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement which, together with Hassan Nasrallah's Shia Group Hezbollah, forms the largest parliamentary pro-Syrian block. However the pro-Syrian coalition managed to establish a sit-in, later growing into a protest camp, in the martyr's square downtown Beirut, to insist on their demands.[14]
Despite these claims, the unidentified perpetrators are still at large and the investigation on the attack has been inconclusive.
