Agents of the FBI joined Lebanese authorities on Wednesday in the hunt for those behind recent bombings in and around Beirut after Lebanon turned to the US for help seeking those responsible.
The most recent of the politically motivated attacks targeted anchor woman May Chidiac last Sunday. Chidiac, who suffered severe burns and whose hand and leg were lost in the attack, worked for the one of the most prominent anti-Syrian media outlets in Lebanon.
US authorites declined to discuss the matter with journalists according to the AP, but an unnamed US Embassy official told reporters that "the US is happy to respond positively to requests from the government of Lebanon."
US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman announced on Tuesday that the US would aid Lebanon in the investigation by providing its technical expertise.
Meanwhile, UN investigators into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri returned to Lebanon after four days of investigations in Syria. The UN report regarding its findings on the assassination, expected to be released in October, may implicate Syria in the bombing.
Lebanese officials expect the number of attacks to rise as the date of the report's release approaches. Hassan Sabei , Lebanon's Minister of Interior, has publicly warned of a "terrorist plot" to destabilize Lebanon in the interim.
Syria has denied any connection to the bombing which killed Hariri or those which have targeted anti-Syrian individuals since.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
