Former Lebanese finance minister Mohamad Chatah and Ambassador to US was killed when a car bomb hit his convoy in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut.
According to media reports, the deadly explosion also killed six people and left 71 wounded.
Mr. Chatah was a prominent critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposed Hezbollah’s armed role in Lebanon.
The former finance minister graduated from American University in Beirut. He was Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 1999.
US condemns the terrorist attack and assassination of Mohamad Chatah
US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed condemnation of the abhorrent terrorist attack and assassination of former Lebanese Cabinet Minister Mohamad Chatah in Beirut.
He said the death of Mr. Chatah is a terrible loss for Lebanon, the Lebanese people and for the United States.
“His presence will be missed, but his vision for a united Lebanon, free from sectarian violence and destabilizing interference, will continue to guide our efforts.” – Secretary Kerry
Hezbollah intervened in Syria
With reports making headlines that the Syrian forces on the ground are making some progress and making gains with the support of Hezbollah forces, the active military support to the Assad regime simply exacerbates the sectarian tensions and it perpetuates the regime’s campaign of terror against its own people.
According to US Secretary of State John Kerry, the United States and other countries are not sending fighters on the ground, but Hezbollah is.
The Hezbollah fighters are coming across an international border, building a militia in order to attack the civilian citizens of Syria.
The Hezbollah forces have become publicly and have announced recently that they are taking part in the military activities in Syria.
Reports say Iran and Hezbollah have built a 50,000-strong parallel force in Syria to help Assad regain military foothold.
Scope of human tragedy in Syria is staggering
Reports emerged that the scale and scope of the human tragedy in Syria today is staggering, and it is inexorably becoming a regional tragedy.
More than 100,000 Syrians have reportedly died.
According to the United Nations, one out of three Syrians will be forced from their homes by the end of 2013.
Jordan is overwhelmed by the burden of 500,000 Syrian refugees which is a number that could reach a million by the end of the year.
The crisis in Syria has spilled over to seriously inflame politics in Iraq and Lebanon.
The Syrian violence has led a crisis on a humanitarian scale that is of the highest priority within the U.S. government, and for which the US pledges to continue to provide support.
In April 2012, with the deteriorating situation in Syria due to turmoil, the United States of America bolstered efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflict in the country.
The UN estimates that there are over 2 million Syrians inside Syria in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Of that number, an estimated 300,000 are internally displaced.
United States has dedicated some $33 million to support the important work to assist and protect those in need in Syria and neighboring countries, and much more is on the way.
The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 100,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.
