ARAB-US RELATIONS - Jun 21 - Rice Accuses Syria Of Adding To Lebanon's Instability.

US State Sec Condoleezza Rice, blames Syria for contributing to an "atmosphere" of instability in Lebanon following the assasination of another anti-Syrian Lebanese figure - the second this month. "I do not know who was responsible for this", she said of the murder of George Hawi, the former head of the Lebanese Communist party. "But there is a context and an atmosphere of instability. Syria's activities are a part of that context and that atmosphere and they need to knock it off", she said. Hawi was killed in a car bomb in the Lebanese capital. The assasination came two days after the end of Lebanon's month-long general elections during which the anti-Syrian coalition won a majority of parliament seats. The killing of Hawi appeared to confirm fears raised recently by Washington and Lebanese anti-Syrian figures about a hit list of politicians and journalists, probably targeted because of their anti-Syrian stances. "Those who killed him are the same as those who killed Rafiq Hariri and Samir Kassir, it's the security regime that is in power", said Rafi Madoyan, Hawi's stepson, referring to Lebanon's former PM assasinated in February and the anti-Syrian columnist killed on June 2, respectively. Madoyan's comments were echoed by many in the opposition who blamed Syria and its allies in Lebanon for the violence. Damascus has denied any involvement. Hawi had just left his home at around 10 am in the working class neighbourhood of Wata Museitbeh in West Beirut and was reportedly on his way to meet another anti-Syrian politician to discuss the election triumph. Lebanon's minister of interior, Hassan al Sabeh, said: This terrorist crime aims to disrupt the success achieved in holding the parliamentary elections and is a futile attempt to create division among the Lebanese and prevent the restoration of the country's well-being".

There has been criticism of the interior ministry's inability to stop the assassinations but Walid Jumblatt a prominent opposition politician also told local TV that even if the anti-Syrian coalition controlled the next government after winning a majority in parliament, the violence would continue until the whole of the country's security services was purged of pro-Syrian elements. The current government, headed by moderate pro-Syrian politician Najib Mikati, tendered its resignation in line with the constitution and will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed in the coming weeks. Hawi's killing took place while a UN team was in Beirut investigating the assassination of Hariri. Detlev Mehlis, the German prosecutor leading the team, on Jun 21 "interviewed" Mustafa Hamdan, the head of Lebanon's presidential guard and the highest pro-Syrian security officer to remain in his post after others resigned in recent weeks. Hamdan's home and office were also searched, according to UN officials. Leading opposition politicians have strengthened their security and limited their appearances in public, but scores of less prominent figures remain easy targets.