[LCM Articles] Car Bomb Wounds Six in Lebanese Capital

[Fadi P. Kanaan]

The bomb went off in Jdeideh.
After returning from exile, General Aoun is going to base his operations
in Jdeideh.

Maybe this is all a coincidence, maybe not.

-----Original Message-----
From: lebanon-articles-bounces at MIT.EDU
[mailto:lebanon-articles-bounces at MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Maurice
Hage-Obeid
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 7:06 PM
To: lebanon-articles at mit.edu
Subject: [LCM Articles] Car Bomb Wounds Six in Lebanese Capital


BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in a mainly Christian eastern
suburb 
of Lebanon's capital early on Saturday, wounding six people.

A Reuters correspondent on the scene said the blast had destroyed the
first 
floor of an apartment block, blew out windows in surrounding buildings,
and 
left a large crater in the road. Cars parked nearby were mostly wrecked.

"I was standing under this building and we heard a huge explosion and
there 
was a big cloud of dust, and glass flew everywhere. We saw this car just

fly into the air and land on the street right in front of us," said
witness 
Rany Ayoub.

The vehicle containing the bomb appeared to have been in a car park.

Security forces and ambulances flooded the area. Hospital officials said

six people had been wounded.

It was unclear who might have been the target of the blast, which
occurred 
after midnight.

Lebanon has been rocked by political turmoil since Feb. 14 when former 
Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a car- bomb attack, for
which 
Lebanese many held Damascus responsible. Syria denies the charge.

Syria, under international pressure, has begun pulling its troops out of

its tiny neighbor after a 29-year presence. With the uncertainty left by

the retreating Syrians, fears are rising that political tensions could 
spill into violence.

Analysts and politicians have warned that strains are evident in the 
precarious political, religious and communal balance achieved since 
Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun said on Friday he hoped to end
14 
years of exile and return to Lebanon within weeks, as soon as the
Syrians 
had completed their pullout.

About one-fifth of the population and long Syria's most vocal opponents,

the Maronites have dominated the past few weeks' protests demanding the 
withdrawal of Syrian troops. 

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