Lebanese Catholic leaders denounce deadly car bomb explosion

Published: 2007-12-12

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNS) -- Catholic leaders in Lebanon denounced a car bomb explosion that killed a top Maronite Catholic military official in a neighborhood of Beirut. "The war in Lebanon is not finished," Chaldean Bishop Michel Kassarji of Beirut told Catholic News Service from the bishop's residence, which is located near where the bomb exploded Dec. 12. "The big problem is for Christians in Lebanon. We are afraid we will not have the possibility to elect a president because of the interference of Syria and Iran, and also Saudi Arabia, France and the United States," he said. "Everyone has an interest in Lebanon, and that's not good for our country," Bishop Kassarji said. "We are Lebanese and we want to govern our own country by ourselves." Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj was killed in the blast in Beirut's Baabda neighborhood near the presidential palace. Hajj was slated to succeed Gen. Michel Suleiman as head of the military if Suleiman is elected president.

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