Hariri Assassination Fuels Demand That Lebanese Government Resign

The murder of Rafiq Hariri, widely suspected to have had Syrian backing, continues to drive outrage at the Syrian-dominated government of Lebanon. Fromlebanonwire.com:

BEIRUT, Feb 23 (AFP) - Leaders of Lebanon's banking, industrial and commercial sectors said they would shut down next Monday to demand the country's pro-Syrian government resign and that a "neutral" one replace it.

The strike would coincide with an expected vote of confidence in parliament, two weeks after the murder of former premier Rafiq Hariri in a bomb blast for which the opposition has pinned blame on the government and its Syrian backers.

Beleaguered Prime Minister Omar Karameh said earlier Wednesday that he was ready to quit in the face of intense pressure to end Syrian domination of his country and find Hariri's killers.

The unrest following the assassination of Hariri, which has been called "Lebanon's 9/11" has dominated Middle East news outlets, despite a virtual lack of coverage in the West.

Via Publius Pundit