Schools closed following the assassination of two Lebanese youths
Beirut (AsiaNews) – Schools and universities are today in Lebanon, in an expression of solidarity with the families of the two murdered Sunni youths, whose bodies were found yesterday, and amid fears of incidents between students from opposing factions. The younger of the two, Ziad Ghandour, had yet to mark his 12th birthday and was in fifth class in a Beirut primary school.
His body, together with that of Ziad Qabalan, 24 years old, was discovered yesterday in Jadra village, in Chouf district, between the capital and Sidone. At 19.00 an anonymous phone call to New TV network, said the bodies of the two boys who had disappeared from the Sunni quarter of Beirut Wata al-Mosseitbeh, three days ago, had been found. Police then confirmed that the two victims were shot to death and that their bodies bore signs of torture.
Jadra village lies in Chouf, an area controlled by the Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who was the first to launch an appeal against the “politicization of the event”. “It maybe – he added – that it was an ordinary crime, devoid of political motivations. What happened must not be blown out of proportion. The crime in itself is atrocious, but atrocious crimes are committed in today’s society, let us wait the outcome of investigations”. Concluding, Joumblatt underlined that it is the job of state to guarantee security to it’s’ citizens. In fact, since news broke yesterday evening, 60 thousand army troops and police are patrolling the streets.
For his part Prime Minister Fouad Senioura, who visited the families of the two murdered youths, promised that “he will not rest until those responsible for the crime are captured”, and announced that one suspect had been arrested. Condemnation of the event also arrived from leaders of the majority and opposition. The Lebanese President, General Emile Lahoud, fresh from his state visit to Qatar, “expressed his vigorous condemnation of the crime”, promising that he would personally follow investigations and presenting his heartfelt condolences to the families of Ghandour and Qabalan, inviting all involved to overcome their hurt. Director of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, expressed his fear to AsiaNews that "this incident could spark off a series of violent reprisals”. Member of Parliament Ali Hasan Khalil, referred the condemnation of the Parliament President Nabih Berri, and the entire Amal Party, who consider this massacre represents an attempt to destroy Lebanon. The Party of God, by word of its spokesman Mouhammad Rahd, has appealed for calm, denouncing the weakness of the Lebanese government, which is unable to protect its citizens, and promising full collaboration with security forces in order to capture the perpetrators of the assassinations.
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