Army Command Condemns Hasan Murder: Lebanese Must Rise above Crime to Avert Strife
The Army Command condemned on Saturday the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, urging the Lebanese people to exercise restraint during this tense time.
It said in a statement: “We urge the Lebanese people to rise above their hurt and unite in order to avert the strife that was sought by the criminals.”
It stressed that it will follow up on Hasan's assassination and that of all others until the assailants are revealed.
“No means will be spared in order to arrest the suspects and bring them to justice,” declared the Army Command.
“Hasan is the martyr of the army, security agencies, and the whole of Lebanon,” it said.
He was killed on Friday in a car bomb in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district.
Conflicting reports emerged over the number of dead in the blast with some sides putting the figure at three and others at eight.
At least a hundred people were wounded in the explosion.
His assassination sparked outrage throughout Lebanon with protesters blocking roads in various regions on Friday and Saturday.
Hasan was close to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
The ISF played a central role in the arrest in August of former Minister Michel Samaha, who has close links to Damascus and was charged with planning attacks in Lebanon and transporting explosives in collaboration with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk.
Hasan also played a central role in the investigation in Rafik Hariri's murder in February 2005, as well as uncovering Israeli espionage networks and terrorist cells in Lebanon.
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