LDP senior official suspected "Israel" of being behind the assassination of Aridi
Source: Nowlebanon.com, 11-9-2008
Saleem Hamadeh, an international affairs officer and member of the political board of the Lebanese Democratic Party, told NOW Lebanon on Thursday that he suspected "Israel" of being behind the Wednesday night assassination of party member Sheikh Saleh Aridi.
"The one who did this is the one who doesn't want to see Lebanon free, independent and living with honor," Hamadeh said, adding, "I think it was "Israel"."
Hamadeh said that Aridi had been in charge of the party's relations with Hizbullah, but had also worked to bridge the gap between the opposition and the majority, which, Hamadeh said, was one of the main reasons he had been killed. It is a warning to [LDP leader and Sports and Youth Minister] Talal Arslan, telling him not to work toward reconciliation, Hamadeh said.
However, Hamadeh made it clear that he believed that the primary motivation for killing Aridi had to do with Hizbullah. "I think the reason behind this assassination was because he was in charge of relations with Hizbullah ... You see, now it's not easy to assassinate Hizbullah leaders, they're well secured. But it's possible to do it to a party that has good relations with Hizbullah," Hamadeh said.
Hamadeh said that Aridi had been one of Arslan's most trusted aides, and that two weeks ago Arslan had visited Syria, where he had been officially received by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
"He was in the presidential palace with the [Syrian] politburo, for a two-hour meeting ... some parties don't like this," Hamadeh said.
"Mr. Arslan, when Syrian intelligence was here, was not acting with them, he was not cooperating with them," Hamadeh said, adding, "but he has a very good relationship with Mr. Assad's family. It's a personal relationship, and somebody doesn't like that."
Hamadeh said that Aridi's killing was the first political assassination of an opposition member, and that the intended message was that "it's forbidden to have an initiative for a solution between people."
He said that his party had been expecting an attack against Arslan and that security measures had been taken, but that they had not believed Aridi would be targeted.
Hamadeh said that Aridi was born in Baysour, the same town where he was killed, and that his father was Abu Saleh al-Arfan al-Aridi, one of the most important religious figures in the Druze community. The younger Aridi had been a member of the PSP before joining the Lebanese Democratic Party when it was founded in 2001. He became director of party's Baysour office, and was appointed to the party's political board in 2005.
Hamadeh described Aridi as Arslan's right-hand man, and called the killing "a big hit for Mr. Arslan and his party; it's done a lot of damage. It's a warning that nobody is allowed to extend his hand, to shake the hands of others."
Hamadeh said that in the wake of the killing, the party had increased security because "a hit can be anywhere...Nobody knows. We are still not secure in Lebanon."
Saleem Hamadeh, an international affairs officer and member of the political board of the Lebanese Democratic Party, told NOW Lebanon on Thursday that he suspected "Israel" of being behind the Wednesday night assassination of party member Sheikh Saleh Aridi.
"The one who did this is the one who doesn't want to see Lebanon free, independent and living with honor," Hamadeh said, adding, "I think it was "Israel"."
Hamadeh said that Aridi had been in charge of the party's relations with Hizbullah, but had also worked to bridge the gap between the opposition and the majority, which, Hamadeh said, was one of the main reasons he had been killed. It is a warning to [LDP leader and Sports and Youth Minister] Talal Arslan, telling him not to work toward reconciliation, Hamadeh said.
However, Hamadeh made it clear that he believed that the primary motivation for killing Aridi had to do with Hizbullah. "I think the reason behind this assassination was because he was in charge of relations with Hizbullah ... You see, now it's not easy to assassinate Hizbullah leaders, they're well secured. But it's possible to do it to a party that has good relations with Hizbullah," Hamadeh said.
Hamadeh said that Aridi had been one of Arslan's most trusted aides, and that two weeks ago Arslan had visited Syria, where he had been officially received by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
"He was in the presidential palace with the [Syrian] politburo, for a two-hour meeting ... some parties don't like this," Hamadeh said.
"Mr. Arslan, when Syrian intelligence was here, was not acting with them, he was not cooperating with them," Hamadeh said, adding, "but he has a very good relationship with Mr. Assad's family. It's a personal relationship, and somebody doesn't like that."
Hamadeh said that Aridi's killing was the first political assassination of an opposition member, and that the intended message was that "it's forbidden to have an initiative for a solution between people."
He said that his party had been expecting an attack against Arslan and that security measures had been taken, but that they had not believed Aridi would be targeted.
Hamadeh said that Aridi was born in Baysour, the same town where he was killed, and that his father was Abu Saleh al-Arfan al-Aridi, one of the most important religious figures in the Druze community. The younger Aridi had been a member of the PSP before joining the Lebanese Democratic Party when it was founded in 2001. He became director of party's Baysour office, and was appointed to the party's political board in 2005.
Hamadeh described Aridi as Arslan's right-hand man, and called the killing "a big hit for Mr. Arslan and his party; it's done a lot of damage. It's a warning that nobody is allowed to extend his hand, to shake the hands of others."
Hamadeh said that in the wake of the killing, the party had increased security because "a hit can be anywhere...Nobody knows. We are still not secure in Lebanon."
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