of Lebanon’s minister Pierre Gemayel inquiring about details of his murder.

The call took place at 3:05 pm Beirut local time. Alseyassah did not name the Lebanese newspaper to protect its identity.

The Alseyassah added that the Lebanese newspaper was extremely surprised about SANA’s call which prompted the SANA reporter to call 10 minutes later and apologize for the original call.

Both PSP leader Walid Jumblatt and parliament majority leader Saad Hariri have accused Syria of being behind the murder in order to avoid the implementation of the UN tribunal for trying the murderers of former PM Hariri.

Social Affairs Minister Nayla Moawad also laid blame on Damascus for seeking to kill ministers to force the collapse of Siniora's government.

It is clearly obvious that if SANA knew in advance of the murder, the Syrian regime of Bashar el Assad must have been behind the murder.

As if to confirm of being behind the murder, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad rejected any of his citizens be brought to justice by an international tribunal into former PM Rafik Hariri's murder, al Hayat newspaper reported Wednesday.

"Syria will not allow to turn in any of its citizens before an international judiciary because we are confident of our" judicial system, Mekdad was quoted as saying by the daily.

Syria was accused of being behind the murder of former prime minister Rafik-El Hariri who was assassinated on Feb 14, 2005. This resulted in the birth of the Cedar Revolution which along with international pressure forced Syria out of Lebanon in April 2005 after almost 3 decades of occupation.

The UN investigation that followed the assassination pointed fingers at Syria and its Lebanese allies as being behind the murder of Hariri and the murders that followed. An international Court is being discussed to try the killers but Syria and its Lebanese agents such as Hezbollah and its allies including the Lebanese president and general Michel Aoun are opposed to the court and have been trying hard to bring the government of Siniora (that approved the court) down to protect the Syrian regime and its agents.

The 5 Shiite ministers of Hezbollah and Amal along with president Lahoud’s ally resigned from the government of PM Siniora a day before the government was to discuss the UN draft for the international tribunal. But despite their resignations PM Siniora went ahead with the meeting and approved the UN draft. This prompted Hezbollah to call for the fall of the government and threatened to stage mass protests to topple the government.

Lebanese forces chief Samir Geagea predicted last week the assassination of Lebanese ministers to bring the government down.

Alseyassah was the first newspaper to report about the involvement in Hariri murder of the 4 generals that report directly to president Lahoud. All the 4 generals are now in jail pending trial.

By: Ali Hussein, Ya Libnan Volunteer

View the Pierre Gemayel Photo Gallery

Sources:Alseyassah