Lebanon cancels Independence day celebrations

In the wake of yesterday's assassination of Pierre Gemayel and attempted assassination of Michel Pharaon, today became a day of sorrow as opposed to the joyous occassion it should have been. Lebanon canceled Independence Day celebrations and people huddled around televisions to watch the live broadcast Wednesday of dignitaries paying last respects to a Christian politician whose assassination threatened to push the country's political crisis into wider violence. [...] Pierre Gemayel, the minister of industry, was killed Tuesday when two cars blocked his vehicle at an intersection in the suburbs of Beirut and an assassin shot him numerous times through a side window. His killing - the fifth murder of an anti-Syrian figure in Lebanon in two years - immediately drew condemnation from all quarters. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and Pierre's father and former president Amin Gemayel received calls from national leaders around the world including of course George Bush and Pope Benedict. Thousands of mourners filled the streets to mourn with the Gemayel family...

Prominent Lebanese, Christian, anti-Syrian politician assassinated

Syria had been seriously implicated in Hariri's death, what's to stop them (or Iran and their proxy Hezbollah for that matter) from taking out another independent voice in the Lebanese government, especially with their renewed interest in the regional power politics. BEIRUT, Lebanon - Pierre Gemayel, scion of Lebanon's most prominent Christian family and a leading opponent of Syria, was gunned down Tuesday in a brazen daytime hit. The assassination threatened to intensify Lebanon's power struggle between the U.S.-allied government and the Syrian-backed Hezbollah. Gemayel, 34, was leaving church when he fell into a well-coordinated attack: One vehicle cut off his car from the front, another rammed him from behind, then gunmen burst out and sprayed a dozen bullets into his passenger-side window. The killing sent tensions spiraling at a time when Lebanon was already facing a worsening political crisis. The Shiite Muslim guerrilla group Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies have threatened massive protests — as early as Thursday — aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government unless it gives them greater power. It certainly looks like an assassination, and Hugh is calling it an attempted coup by Hezbollah when you also take this bit of news into account as well: that there was an attempted assassination of a second Lebanese cabinet member, Michel Pharaon, according to Belmont Club. Belmont reports that that would have been enough to topple the Cedar Revolution. We'll have to watch the situation to see how this plays out. Stay tuned for updates... UPDATE @ 4:37pm: Hezbollah blames the assassination on Israel. Really... they do... Hot Air's got the video to prove it.