Explosion in Verdun

Breaking News: An explosion rocked the upscale area of Verdun in Beirut. LBC is airing footage showing extensive damage to residential buildings and restaurants near the Dunes center, and not far from parliament speaker Nabih Berri's residence. 

Update. The explosion is massive. No reports yet on casualties. 

Update 2. Unconfirmed reports of 6 injured. LBC is showing children being carried to an ambulance. A completely destroyed car with a baby car seat. Horrible images. The LBC reporter says the explosion left a huge crater. This is reminiscent of the explosion that killed Rafik Hariri.

It looks like someone was targeted.

Update 3. The target is Lebanese sovereignty and stability. Seven are wounded. Three Lebanese soldiers were killed today by Fatah al-Islam terrorists in the north, after fighting subsided following a rumored cease fire. Al-Jazeera spent the day villifying the Lebanese army and casting suspicions over its mission in the north. Michel Aoun bashed the "illegal competition" between the ISF and the Lebanese army and had a sarcastic smile on his face that made me switch the TV off. The cabinet licensed his TV station, OTV, aka crap goes digital. Syria's ambassador to the UN said the explosions were an attempt to establish the Hariri tribunal. To comment on the blast in Verdun, Aljazeera interviewed a PFLP-GC official in Damascus. He described the explosions as an internal Lebanese matter.

And there you have it. The Assad regime is waging a war on Lebanon by ripping it apart.

Do you think Nabih Berri heard the explosion?

Comments

[BadVilbel]

Bleh....

[Charlie]

The two politicians I know that live in that area are: Nabih Berri and Hussein El-Husseini.

[Ramzi S]

Yes. But that is a major road that all sorts of politicians take in and out of Beirut..

[Janan]

I live around the corner from where the explosion went off. It was incredibly loud and it shook the building. I rushed to the phone to check on my son and his friends who were out for the evening. Fortunately, they had gone to Hamra street instead tonight. Verdun is full of restaurants and shops, and people stroll up and down the street all hours of the day and night. I can't believe how lucky we were in that it doesn't look like there are serious casualties.
Berri's house is very close to the spot. However, he was never in danger, all the sideroads to his mansion are blocked. In any case, I can tell you one thing. I wish the cabinet would have the courage to give the army the go ahead to go in and finish off these murderers in the camp. Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

[another_someone]

Does anyone know how close to the Russian cultural centre it was? Seems to be an all in one bomb if your reports are true about the politicians that live in this neighborhood, and the presence of the Russian cultural centre in the area. Does that mean there might be CCTV footage that can be helpful to investigators?

The Lebanese, at this point, media or government, need to start a public awareness campaign to show the people how to identify suspicious individuals about to plant explosive cars. Surely if anyone, the Lebanese have the most experience with this kind of thing.

I am not talking out of my ass here. It just seems that the Lebanese have gotten so used to this, that they adapted to it, instead of being proactive towards prevention. Security is everyone's business because it affects everyone.

Good luck.

[Ali]

The location of the explosion is the most significant aspect of it. It was near Nabih Berri and Najib Mikati's homes. I personally think that they are messages more than an all out rampage; they could have planted the bomb nearer to Scoozi, Mandarine and Bob's Diner. The casualty rate would have been 10 times higher. I just hope that people stay home for a while and avoid Monot and Gemayzeh till the situation clears up a bit. It would also help if the bastards get out of downtown as we need all the army personnel we can get.

I hope that the people stay safe and calm.

[JoseyWales]

Maybe someone was targeted but it can't be Husseini (he made himself irrelevant the last few years).

It can't be Berri either. Berri dead would give parliament to March 14 along with the prez election.

Assad will let piece-of-shit Berri live another day.

[Vox P.]

Verdun. ABC. You can kiss the tourism season goodbye.

[Fandango]

The evil Zionists must be behind it all and ofcourse lets not forget Satan el Grande
when are we going to realize all this and run to our Syrian and Iranian brothers for protection!

[BadVilbel]

Yup. As AK says in his update, this is an attack on Lebanon itself.

I say it's high time to take out the trash. Remember my calls for martial law? Impose a curfew immediately. Anyone seen on the streets will be shot on sight. Have every known terrorist type that's hiding out in all these "off-limits" places arrested (camps, Dahieh, etc.) Have guys like Berri and Nas arrested for high treason.

Makes one miss the old-school, cold-war style military Junta approach.

One can dream...

[ghassan karam]

To answer the question raised by Ak, Mr. Berri has had a pact with the devil that is decades old and so he has no soul to feel, eyes to see or ears to hear . Commodities become just things, inanimate.
If Fath alislam is so new and if its membership is under two hundred then why can't an army and a gendarme find adequate manpower to deal with what amounts to a gang? I do not make any claims to any information about what is going on and certainly I have no interest in casting dispersions on any one but I cannot help but be a little bit skeptical of the conventional wisdom that the few misguided members of Fath Al Islam have brought about all of this mayhem? They must be just hired guns to cover up a much grander scheme of obstructionism. Would we ever now the real story about these pivotal events? Was Aoun informed about this in advance? What about HA? did they supply logistics , training and arms? Who is providing the funding and what is the source of weapons? All of these are interesting questions but what is of a paramount immediate concern is the ability to frustrate these plans and salvage the state.

[Ibn Hassan]

This will not stop until the ruling Baath party is brought to justice, from Bashar to every member in his murdurous group who has Lebanese blood on his hands. They need to be stopped now, enough already.

[JoseyWales]

Yes Bad, martial law now.

And shut down or control all information outlets for 2/3 weeks and that includes al-manar and al-Jaz etc.

Yes Vox, our idiot biz community will cry over the 100-day truce plan to salvage the tourist season.

How about, get a state and stability and security and a future for the next generation, THEN you can have your good tourist season for the next 30 years. But NOOOOO, they'd rather kiss Berri's and Saniora's ass to get a couple of weeks a year which actually never come.

[Ibn Hassan]

Can we for once send a big bomb to Bashar? kill the thug strike him hard and his vile ruling clan. The Syrians will cheer us on I bet! they want to get rid of them too.

[Cedar Revolution]

Unless people are brain damaged, how can they not identify the Lahoud-Nasrallah-Aoun axis of evil? These idiots are hapilly destroying Lebanon for their own twisted ego. If there is any justice in Lebanon,these criminal generals should be brought to trial.

[fubar]

Known casualties from fighting to date:

(AFP) "Hospital and security sources gave a breakdown of the deaths: 30 soldiers, 17 Islamist fighters, 10 Palestinian civilians and a Lebanese civilian."

Of course, this does not take into account all the deaths within the Palestinian camp where, hopefully, Fatah al-Islam is taking a hit from all the shelling.

Not to get all holier than thou (I am already going to hell so you can all be holier than me which is really not saying much about you...), but...

Hezbollah hid among civilians.
Fatah al-Islam is hiding among civilians.

Hezbollah used civilians as human shields.
Fatah al-Islam is using civilians as human shields.

Israel dropped leaflets, made phone calls, etc. trying to separate the civilians from Hezbollah.
Not sure what all the LAF had done, and I am not saying they haven’t tried as well.

Still, Lebanese who refused to leave or were prevented from leaving were killed by Israel.
When the smoke clears, do not be surprised to find a high number of Palestinian civilians have been killed by the LAF, and by Fatah al-Islam as well.

The innocent civilian Palestinians are mostly just caught in the crossfire of the war started by Fatah al-Islam, just the same way that the innocent civilian Lebanese were caught in the crossfire of the war started by Hezbollah. Fatah al-Islam hides amongst the Palestinians, Hezbollah hides amongst the Lebanese Shia.

In this time when emotions are running high, no matter what you think of Palestinians in general, pause for a moment and recognize that in every war innocent civilians die. The innocent civilian Palestinians that are dying in that camp are human beings too. Arab life, even Palestinian Arab life, does have value, no matter what some “Arabs” may think. What separates us from them is that we value human life, all human life, and we mourn the loss of it, even as we recognize that the enemy fights in such a way as to maximize that loss. And the day that we fail to recognize the fact that innocent civilians are being killed and fail to mourn their loss, we will no better than the scum we fight against.

[bernie]

I linked to your article from UN Condemns Lebanon for Disproportionate Response

[ghassan karam]

Fubar,
Thanks for reminding us of the fact that "war is hell" and that innocents are often caught in the cross fire. The Palestinian residents of the camps have paid dearly for the actions of others. ( I was under the impression that all camp residents are Palestinians but then we find out that most and potentially all of the Fatah Al Islam are not Palestinians. Can anyone comment on that).

[Shunkleash]

WOW!

I too value human life...and yes war is hell and all the rest of it!

Spare a thought for a moment on the young men of the Leb army who are dying - they have families, babes in arms, wives who will never see them again, mothers fathers sisters brothers. I believe with their dying breath that THEY value human life - THE LIVES OF THEIR FELLOW LEBANESE. Bare in mind that for two decades they have been treated with little of no respect by lebanese opportunists and our brotherly syrian neighbours being under armed and undertrained but they fight and die with REAL honour and REAL courage for the ONE STATE(even if some of you believe there is no such thing). Now spare a thought also for the poor politically expedient door mat palestinian refugees in the camps (the innocents caught in the cross fire). They who actively support (materially and spiritually) the terrorist dogs, who turn a blind eye to shipments of arms casually being driven into the camps, who live in aprtment buildings that suddenly house young men acting suspiciously (ie walking around with AK47's and explosive belts with Quran's plastered to their forheads) and REFUSE to alert the authorities. By the way, they openly acknowledge that they hold no duty or obligation to the rest of us since they are merely transients on their way to "palestine" whereever that may be.

OH YESS, I value human life, but you see in this instance to the dear fugees in the camps, when I see the blood of young men being spilt FOR ME i am left to ponder and reach but one conlcusion...I hope they REAP what they SOW! Good lessons are hard learnt...even for the "innocents caught in the crossfire".

AYESH LUBNAN!!!

Shunkleash

[ali bm]

reports state that less than 30% of Fatah Al-Islam are palestinians with the others coming from lebanon, saudi arabia, syria, yemen, sudan, nepal and a few other places. the reports said that of the Fatah Al-Islam captured by the lebanese army, there are eight lebanese, 4 yemenis, 4 saudis and a others from here and there. a security source told al hayar that the security forces are checking on the identity of one of the dead terrorists as they suspect that he is a leader in the saudi branch of al-qa'idah.
read hussam ittani peice in as safir. it might shed some light on what is going on
http://www.assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=642&articleId=2069&ChannelId=14045

[Jeha]

There are reports that many army personnel were intercepted while on leave, and some were even slaughtered in their sleep..

One thing I find puzzling, with all their reach, why hasn't Fath Al-Islam activated the other camps? Why limit yourself to relatively "low impact" car bombs?

[syria OR hariri???]

نصيحة لذكر الحريري، بعيداً عن سيمور هيرش

جان عزيز

من المجدي على ما يبدو توجيه نصيحة مجانية إلى بعض المغالين في «تقديس» ذكر الرئيس الراحل رفيق الحريري. ذلك أنهم يوجّهون إليه في واقع حضوره السياسي المستدام اليوم، إساءات، أو تساؤلات على الأقل، غير مقصودة طبعاً، وغير مطلوبة بالتأكيد.
سياق الحديث والنصيحة، ما رافق أحداث طرابلس أول من أمس، وبعض ما سبقها. وأساس الحديث احترام بعض المحرّمات المفروضة في واقعنا، ومنها أن الموت يمحو كل ما سبقه!
ومن مداخل النصيحة الممكنة، كلام مثلاً لرئيس الحكومة فؤاد السنيورة، قبل أيام، عن أن «رفيق الحريري وأنا لم نكن يوماً مع التمديد لا للرئيس الهراوي ولا للرئيس لحود». فيما العودة إلى أرشيف صيف 95، تظهر شبه احتفالية حريرية بإمرار التمديد الرئاسي الأول، لم يغب عنها السنيورة نفسه. كما العودة إلى أرشيف أيلول 2004، تظهر كيف أن السنيورة شخصياً لم يحتمل غيابه دقائق قليلة عن جلسة مجلس الوزراء التي طلبت التمديد لإميل لحود. فتولّى الحريري الراحل الاعتذار عن تأخّره وتأكيد حضوره، قبل أن يصدّق الكلام بالفعل، فوصل وزير مالية عهد الوصاية ليشارك موافقاً في الجلسة التاريخية.
ومع ذلك قد يكون السنيورة في كلامه الأخير صادقاً أو مصيباً. غير أن جدلية الحقيقة أو عكسها في هذا المجال، تفتح المنطق على تساؤل من اثنين: صدقية المواقف المتخذة بالحماسة نفسها اليوم، أو شجاعة المواقف المتخذة في حينه. والسمتان ضروريتان لطراز رجل دولة، فما جدوى أن يكون صادقاً اليوم ومتخاذلاً بالأمس، أو شجاعاً في حينه ومتقلّباً متلوّناً الآن.
ومن مداخل النصيحة نفسها أيضاً، كلام آخر لوزير الإعلام غازي العريضي أول من أمس، على موقف الحريري الراحل من أحداث الضنية في اليوم الأخير من عام 1999. مفاد الكلام أن الحريري وقف يومئذ مع السلطة في وجه مرتكبي الأحداث. وهو ما استمر طيلة الأعوام التالية، وخصوصاً بعد عودة الحريري إلى سلطة الوصاية نفسها عقب انتخابات الألفين وقانونها الشهير. فعلى مدى أربعة أعوام ونيّف لم تصدر عن الرئيس الراحل كلمة واحدة تنمّ عن اعتقاده بظلم واقع على موقوفي تلك الأحداث، أو تجنٍّ أو تركيب ملف أو تلفيق حكم. تماماً كما تعامل مع كل ملفات تلك الفترة، من نفي ميشال عون إلى اعتقال سمير جعجع. حتى إن وزير داخليته آنذاك، إلياس المر، لم يجد حرجاً في الإسهاب كيف تم التعامل مع تلك الأحداث، وكيف اعتقلت قرى بكاملها، وملئت الشاحنات بالموقوفين، وكان الحريري مصدّقاً مغطّياً.
فقط في تموز 2005 صار الملف، الذي تحدّث العريضي عن تأييد الحريري الأب لمضمونه، مثار شكوى ظلامة وتظلّم من الحريري الابن، دفعته حميّته إلى فرض معالجته بقانون عفو، يسبق تحرير سمير جعجع، وقيل إنه يشرطه، وتوّجته مروءته بدفع التكاليف اللازمة لإنجازه وإخراج موقوفيه. فهل كان الأب مخطئاً فأصاب الابن؟ أم العكس صحيح؟ أم هي مجدداً جدلية الشجاعة والحقيقة، مطروحة إزاء تصرف الاثنين؟ومن مداخل النصيحة نفسها أخيراً، ما حدث في طرابلس والشمال أول من أمس، وما قاله النائب سعد الدين الحريري شخصياً.
بدايةً ليس بإمكان عقل لبناني أن يتصوّر نفسه مدافعاً عن النظام السوري في لبنان. ولا جدوى ولا نيّة أصلاً، لدحض مساعي الأخير للعودة إلى دوره اللبناني السابق، وبالتالي اتهامه الدائم بمحاولة زعزعة الوضع الأمني في «محافظته» السابقة و«السليبة» مرتين. كما أن دأب نظام دمشق على توسّل «الأصولية السنية» مدخلاً إلى ذلك، أو فزّاعة لتحقيقه، بات موضع تأكيد دولي. من العراق ومثلث التفجّر السني هناك، وصولاً حتى بيروت ودمشق نفسها. ومقال بهجت سليمان في أيلول 2003 دليل واضح، وتحقيق ألكسندر أدلر عن الموضوع غداة اغتيال الحريري، لا يزال مرجعاً لكل باحث.
غير أن ذلك كله لا يعفي الحريري الابن من السؤال: هل ساهمت السلوكية الحريرية منذ أيار 2005 حتى اليوم، في إذكاء هذا المناخ الأصولي؟ أو هل نجحت تلك السلوكية في إخماد الموجة السنية «القاعدية» القارعة باب الوطن اللبناني؟
أي أثر في هذا السياق تركه الخطاب الانتخابي للحريري الابن في مناطق الشمال، وفي المنية تحديداً، حيث استجلب مقولة «المؤمنين حجاج بيت الله»، إلى صناديق الاقتراع؟
وما كانت تداعيات قانون العفو بعد أسابيع قليلة على تلك الانتخابات، وخصوصاً في مناطق الضنية ومجدل عنجر ومحيطيهما؟ وكيف كان الانعكاس العملي في الأوساط السنية الأصولية، لتعاطي السلطة الحريرية مع غزوة الأشرفية في 5 شباط 2006؟ كي لا يعود البحث هاهنا إلى كيفية تنظيم تلك الغزوة والجهات المنظّمة والتمويل والتعبئة والنقل والحشد؟
وما هي النتائج المتوقعة لعودة أصوات سنية حريرية متشددة، من مواقع روحية ومقامات مرجعية فاعلة في الغرائز والمخيّلة الجماعية؟
وهل رصد المعنيون آثار المواقف الحريرية المتخذة إبّان حرب تموز الماضي، على الساحة السلفية في لبنان، وصولاً إلى المسلك السياسي والمذهبي العام الذي تلى تلك الحرب؟
وما معنى أن يتحدث سعد الدين الحريري من السرايا الحكومية أول من أمس، عن «أهل السنّة»، في وقت متزامن مع تأكيد «فتح الإسلام» أن هدفها هو نصرة «أهل السنّة» بالذات؟
وهل يعي الحريري الابن أي صورة لبنانية، وسنية تحديداً، يبعثها حيّة، باستذكاره «فتح أبو عمار»، فيما مفتي الجمهورية اللبنانية، يوجّه رسالته؟
أسئلة هي برسم النصيحة لذكر الحريري الراحل، بعيداً عن الذهاب مذهب سيمور هيرش الشهير. وخصوصاً أن نجم مجلة «نيويوركر» يكاد ينجز بحثه الجديد. وهو بحث تجدر النصيحة إلى المعنيين بأن يبدأوا بتحضير ردودهم النافية له، قبل صدوره الوشيك.

[Renée]

Meanwhile, back at the UNSC...

[Jeha]

Some of the opposition is coming from that same South Africa which is supporting nasties like Robert Mugabe. Methinks that trade embargo has been lifted far too early; not all racists are white...

[maverick]

These palestinians in the camps number almost half a million spread across lebanon,its not that they are potential terrorists,but the camps are a breeding ground for terrorists,criminals and other pests.Without opening another old scar on the Lebanese government who must be bleeding all over in recent times,wouldnt it be wise to integrate them into society cleaning the swamps that these pests breed in.I mean theyre not going back{to Palestine} anytime soon or in the future, so much for transients,theyre here to stay.Clean the swamps,open them to the rest of society,provide them with better welfare and education,impose the rule of law like the rest of the country and you never know,there might be many potential Samir Kassir's springing up everywhere.

[Fandango]

We can't do that maverick because us the lebanese are racist secterian bastards and the secterian balance would be tipped to one side or the other if god forbids we integrate the palestinians and make them productive citizens. by the way almost 95% of them are born in Lebanon