Syrian link to murder threatens Blair's push for peace - World - Times Online:
"Tony Blair’s policy of engagement with Syria came under immediate threat last night as the assassination of a Lebanese government minister was blamed on Damascus.
Lebanon was plunged into a political crisis after Pierre Gemayel, a prominent anti-Syrian politician and the Industry Minister in the beleaguered Government, was shot dead in a Christian suburb.
Amid nervousness in Whitehall, Mr Blair’s spokesman said that the death should be investigated before conclusions were reached. But he accepted that, “without jumping to conclusions”, part of the Government’s judgment of Syria would be how it behaved in Lebanon.
President Bush accused Syria and Iran of trying to foment instability in Lebanon. John Bolton, the US Ambassador to the UN, raised the possibility of Syrian involvement in the shooting. Referring to an investigation into the assassination last year of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who also tried to limit Syrian influence in his country, Mr Bolton said: “I think people can draw their own conclusions.”"
"Tony Blair’s policy of engagement with Syria came under immediate threat last night as the assassination of a Lebanese government minister was blamed on Damascus.
Lebanon was plunged into a political crisis after Pierre Gemayel, a prominent anti-Syrian politician and the Industry Minister in the beleaguered Government, was shot dead in a Christian suburb.
Amid nervousness in Whitehall, Mr Blair’s spokesman said that the death should be investigated before conclusions were reached. But he accepted that, “without jumping to conclusions”, part of the Government’s judgment of Syria would be how it behaved in Lebanon.
President Bush accused Syria and Iran of trying to foment instability in Lebanon. John Bolton, the US Ambassador to the UN, raised the possibility of Syrian involvement in the shooting. Referring to an investigation into the assassination last year of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who also tried to limit Syrian influence in his country, Mr Bolton said: “I think people can draw their own conclusions.”"
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