Lebanese Official Hurt in Motorcade Bombing

BEIRUT — A powerful bomb targeted the motorcade of Lebanon’s outgoing defense minister in a wealthy Christian suburb Tuesday, wounding the official and a dozen other people and killing a member of his entourage.

It was the first assassination attempt against a top official here since former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a car bombing in February.

The attack on Elias Murr signified a break in the pattern of bombings that have rattled Beirut in recent months. Until Tuesday, the people targeted have shared a common characteristic: They have been outspoken, even brazen, critics of Syria’s longtime domination over Lebanese affairs.

But Murr, a former interior minister, was tightly associated with allies of Damascus. His father is a staunch Syria supporter who won a seat in parliament in this spring’s elections. His father-in-law, President Emile Lahoud, is the highest-ranking member of the Lebanese government who has remained loyal to Syria.

Murr had been receiving death threats and told Lahoud that he feared for his life, said Fares Khachan, political editor of Al Mustaqbal newspaper and a close friend of the defense minister. Murr carries a dangerous amount of intelligence about the workings of the former Syria-backed government, Khachan said.

“He told Lahoud, ‘I have information that they’re going to try and kill me in a car bomb,’ but Lahoud’s reaction was, ‘Then leave the country, move away,’ ” Khachan said. “He’s a reservoir of information about the security regime, and he needs very tight security now because he is still in danger.”

Tuesday’s blast was a harsh reminder of the uncertainty that still torments Lebanon amid its tentative attempts to create political stability. Voters recently elected the first independent parliament after the withdrawal of Syrian troops and intelligence agents this spring. The new legislature is dominated by anti-Syria figures, and a Cabinet was expected to be finalized today.

“This won’t change anything regarding the formation of the new government,” said Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who visited the wounded at a Beirut hospital. “We must be patient in the face of these terrorist, cowardly acts, and we must be united.”

The bombing that killed Hariri sparked a political crisis in both Lebanon and Syria. Damascus was widely blamed for the assassination of the popular leader. Outrage erupted on the streets of Beirut, as well as among Syria’s key diplomatic allies. Under pressure, Syria relinquished the hold it had maintained on Lebanon for nearly three decades.

Damascus has denied any role in Hariri’s assassination. A U.N.-mandated investigation has yet to be completed.

But bombs continue to rock the Lebanese capital. Attacks have included the assassination of a prominent anti-Syria columnist and of a Communist Party official critical of Damascus.

“There is a plan to eliminate every witness with information about the assassination of Rafik Hariri,” Druze leader and Syria critic Walid Jumblatt told Future TV on Tuesday. “I expect these killings to continue until the security services are purged” of Syria’s allies.

At the United Nations, members of the Security Council “unequivocally condemned” the bombing and said those responsible would “not be permitted to undermine stability, national unity, full sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon.” The statement signaled that the council would be prepared to take further action in addition to the investigation of Hariri’s slaying.

Tuesday’s blast rang through the Antelias suburb of the seaside capital at 10:30 a.m. Murr’s Porsche, flanked by his motorcade, was wending along a narrow street lined with embassies and manicured homes when the bomb went off. Both the Red Cross office and the Mexican Embassy are near the blast site.

Security officials at the scene said the bomb might have been planted in a parked car and detonated by remote control.

The explosion was powerful enough to leave a gaping crater. Hedges were charred, doors were blown off their hinges and cars were set ablaze.

“When I heard the blast, I knew it was a bomb and wondered who had been targeted. I ran outside and saw a couple of cars on fire. There was black smoke and I couldn’t see if there was anyone in the cars,” said Roget Rahhal, whose house is nearby. “It looked like all hell had broken loose.”

Murr’s bodyguard was killed, but the defense minister escaped with superficial wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he was visited by Lahoud.

“The Lebanese should not throw around accusations so that Lebanese turn on each other,” said Michel Aoun, a prominent Christian leader. “Lebanon has been the victim of many criminal acts. Everybody should hold their tongues and let the investigation take its course.”

Times special correspondent Abouzeid reported from Beirut and staff writer Stack from Cairo. Staff writer Maggie Farley at the United Nations and Jailan Zayan of The Times’ Cairo Bureau contributed to this report.