Attack in Beirut against a U.S. embassy vehicle
Beirut (AsiaNews) - At least three are dead and ten wounded, including one or perhaps two U.S. embassy officials, following an attack in Beirut near the main Christian neighbourhood of Doura.
The victims and the other wounded are an Iraqi and some Lebanese, according to police sources. It appears that the attack was carried out by blowing up a car that was passing the vehicle of the U.S. diplomatic mission. The explosion threw the embassy vehicle, which was parked off of the road, against the closed entryway of a shop near a "Sleep Comfort" furniture store.
Today's attack came a little more than a month after the one that took the life of Francois Haji, who had been expected to succeed Michel Sleiman as head of the army. Sleiman is expected to be elected the country's president, is an agreement can be reached between the majority and the opposition. The first commentaries on to the attack are claiming that it is related to the political crisis linked to the presidential election.
The attack against the embassy vehicle took place during President Bush's visit to the Middle East. His visit is not scheduled to take him to Lebanon, but in recent days Hezbollah - which the White House holds responsible for Lebanon's political crisis - had "invited" him to Beirut.
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