De Freij to LBCI: The specter of death is overshadowing Lebanon

       
Future Bloc MP Nabil de Freij denounced on Monday the assassination of former Minister Mohammad Chatah, pointing out that the specter of death is overshadowing Lebanon.           

MP De Freij told LBCI’s Nahrkom Said “a foreign cell received orders to carry out the attack,” calling for the disassociation of Lebanon from all regional crises.                                         

Regarding the letter that former Minister Chatah was expected to send to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, De Freij said the letter aimed at preventing a spillover of the Syrian war into Lebanon, adding that it was agreed upon during a meeting between the Future Bloc and Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai.                                         

De Freij also noted that the letter focused on the withdrawal of Hezbollah from Syria in a bid to distance Lebanon from the ongoing war.                      

De Freij stressed that Bkerke’s approval on the letter was essential; however, it was not delivered to Iran’s Rouhani and MPs did not sign it.                            
“The letter was one of the reasons behind Minister Chatah’s assassination,” De Freij concluded.         

An explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, December 27, targeting the convoy of former minister Mohammad Chatah.                 

Sources at the explosion site said Chatah was on his way to attend a meeting at Beit al-Wasat when the explosion occurred.                               

The sources added that the explosion was caused by a booby-trapped car, identified as a Nissan, which was parked only one hour before the explosion; however, in information made available to LBCI, the explosive-laden vehicle was identified as a Honda reported stolen from Lebanon in 2012.              

The explosion in Beirut's Starco claimed the lives of 8 persons, including former minister Chatah, and injured 71 others.