Lebanese Christian leader assassinated

November 22, 2006

Yesterday, Pierre Gemayel was shot in his car and was declared dead at the hospital. He was the Lebanese industry minister.

Today, his corpse was driven into his native town of Bikfaya followed by thousand of people mourning him. He is the fifth personality assassinated in Lebanon in one year and the fifth of the Gemayel's family according to his father, former president Amin Gemayel.

One week ago, Samir Geagea, the commander in chief of the Lebanese Forces, announced rumor of assassination of one minister.

The funeral of Pierre Gemayel will be held tomorrow in the cathedral of Beirut.

According to the White House National Security Council spokesman, President Bush, having expressed his condolences to Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, affirmed "the unwavering commitment of the United States to help build Lebanese democracy, and to support Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria."