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A preliminary investigation into the killing of Lebanese Forces official Pascal Sleiman found it had no apparent political motive, a Lebanese security source told The National on Tuesday – despite the party's assertions that it was a “political assassination”.
“According to our investigation, there was nothing political about this. Nothing so far lends us to believe there was any sort of political motivation,” the security source said.
The Lebanese Army said a Syrian gang had kidnapped and killed Mr Sleiman, a local co-ordinator in the Jbeil area, north of Beirut, for the Christian Lebanese Forces party, which opposes Hezbollah.
A military official told The National that seven Syrian suspects were arrested on Tuesday, four accused of being directly involved in Monday's apparent carjacking gone wrong and three for supporting them.
The army investigation found that “the kidnapped person was killed by [the gang] while they were trying to steal his car in the Jbeil area, and they transported his body to Syria”.
But a Lebanese Forces official told The National that the results of the army's investigation were “incoherent.”
“We’re not going to entertain the story. It’s incoherent and several elements don’t make sense,” he said. “To us this is not the truth and we are still pushing to know the truth. As far as we are concerned it’s a political assassination.”
He cited the killing of former Lebanese Forces official Elias Hasrouni, who died last year in what appeared to be a car crash but was later revealed, after an autopsy, to have been murdered.
“When [Mr Sleiman's] body arrives in a bit, it will undergo an autopsy and we will find out if the story matches up or not,” the official said.
The security official told The National that Syrian authorities had handed over three of the suspects and added that Mr Sleiman's body was expected to be repatriated to Lebanon later on Tuesday.
The suspects told the investigators that Mr Sleiman had been driving along an area of Jbeil that was known as a “zone” for car theft.
“They had tried to take two other cars but they drove off too quickly. But when they got to Pascal he stopped and they caught him by surprise. He tried to resist,” the official said.
A physical altercation resulted in Mr Sleiman's death from internal bleeding, after which, according to the military official, the burglars crammed Mr Sleiman into the boot of his own car and decided to continue to Syria in an attempt to avoid detection.
Lebanese Forces supporters briefly closed the roads in Jbeil on Monday evening, with some accusing the Iran-backed Hezbollah group of a politically-motivated murder. The party said “what has been leaked so far about the motives of the crime does not seem consistent with the reality of the situation”.
Hezbollah has been engaged in near daily cross-border exchanges of fire with Israel in southern Lebanon since the outbreak of war in Gaza. The clashes have gradually increased in intensity and scope, leading to fears of an all-out war.
Lebanese Forces has been vocal in its criticism of Hezbollah's involvement in the conflict.
The militant group has often been accused of attacking its opponents, including officials from or aligned with Lebanese Forces.
In a speech on Monday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah dismissed the accusations and denied his group was involved. He accused those blaming Hezbollah of stirring up “very dangerous” sectarian tensions.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing, adding that “in these difficult circumstances, we call on everyone to exercise self-control, be wise, and not be drawn into rumours and emotions”.
Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, Lebanon's top Shiite cleric who is also close to Hezbollah, criticised the killing while calling for calm to avoid inflaming sectarian tensions.
Mr Sleiman's killing also triggered a backlash against Syrian refugees. Footage posted online showed groups of Jbeil residents attacking people identified as Syrians.
The status of the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon remains a deeply sensitive topic, particularly in a country that since 2019 has been engulfed in one of the worst economic crises in modern times.
Lebanese politicians regularly call on Syrians to return to their country.
On Tuesday, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi called for restraint and a reduction in the number of Syrians in Lebanon.
“We are seeing more crimes committed by Syrians,” Mr Mawlawi said after a meeting with security and military officials.
He said about 35 per cent of detainees in Lebanon’s prisons were Syrian.
“The Syrian presence in Lebanon must be limited and we emphasised to the security forces the need to strictly enforce Lebanese laws on displaced Syrians.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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What are the regulations?
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
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- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The five pillars of Islam
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
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Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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The five pillars of Islam
MATCH DETAILS
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Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
