Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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October 31, 2007

Lebanon's Saad Hariri Says Syrian Official Planning to Kill Him
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A14BAF:A6F02AD83191E1601566FE58F756759298CBE7246176B735 Leader of
country's anti-Syrian ruling coalition has been living under tight
security for several years amid a string of assassinations The leader
of Lebanon's anti-Syrian ruling coalition says he has information
about a plot to kill him. He and other anti-Syrian politicians have
been living under tight security for several years amid a string of
assassinations that they have blamed on Damascus, although Syrian
officials have denied any connection to the killings. VOA
Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.







Saad Hariri, 20 Oct 2007Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader, Saad
Hariri, said he has evidence that a senior Syrian official has been
plotting to assassinate him and Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Hariri was in Cairo and responded to a reporter who asked whether
Syrian military intelligence chief Assif Shawkat was behind the
alleged plot.

"We have information about this, and it is accurate, " he said. He
said Lebanon's security services are following up on intelligence
about the alleged assassination plot, which he said also targeted
Prime Minister Siniora.







Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, (r), meets with Lebanese lawmaker
Saad Hariri at the Presidential palace in Cairo, 30 Oct 2007Hariri
said his talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak centered
on Lebanon's upcoming presidential election. Pro-Syrian President
Emile Lahoud's term in office expires next month, but Lebanon's rival
political factions have been deadlocked and unable to agree on a
successor. Parliament is set to meet again on November 12 for a last
attempt to reach a consensus.

Hariri said he and President Mubarak agreed that no Arab state should
interfere in Lebanon's political process, an implicit swipe at Syria.

Saad Hariri heads the anti-Syrian bloc holding a slim majority of
seats in parliament. A wave of assassinations of anti-Syrian
politicians over the past two years has prompted many members of the
ruling coalition to take extreme security measures to protect
themselves. Some have left the country, while others stay in fortified
compounds or hotels. Most of the cabinet members have spent the last
year living in the Grand Serail compound, which houses the prime
minister's offices.

Hariri's father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was
killed in a massive car-bombing in Beirut in early 2005.

An initial U.N. inquiry into that bombing implicated some senior
Syrian officials, including Shawkat. In addition to heading Syria's
military intelligence service, Shawkat is also the brother-in-law of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Saad Hariri and Prime Minister Siniora have led the push to establish
an international tribunal to try suspects in the killings. Damascus
denies any involvement in the murders, and has said it will not turn
over its citizens for trial outside of Syria.


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