Rally is set for slain leader's funeral
The prime minister got a call of support from President Bush.
BIKFAYA, Lebanon (AP) -- Mourners wept and showered rice Wednesday on the coffin of a slain government minister who opposed Syrian influence in this divided nation, as his supporters mobilized for a massive show of force at his funeral in the capital, Beirut.
A strong turnout today could further fuel the political crisis between anti-Syrian forces who back the Lebanese government and pro-Syrian groups led by the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, which wants to topple the Western-backed prime minister, Fuad Saniora.
Just days before Tuesday's assassination of prominent Christian politician Pierre Gemayel, Hezbollah had threatened to hold mass protests of its own against the government. A Hezbollah official said Wednesday that the group would not carry out any action in the next few days "in order to calm the emotions." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Fears remain
Still, in the newly charged atmosphere, many feared the crisis could move into the volatile streets.
"This is scary. If things continue this way, who knows where we are heading," said Tony Gemayel, a 35-year-old relative participating in mourning ceremonies held by the Maronite Christian family in their ancestral hometown of Bikfaya in the mountains above Beirut.
In a sign of the heightened tensions in Bikfaya, some two dozen soldiers and an armored personnel carrier guarded the offices of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, a pro-Syrian party whose premises were attacked by a mob of angry Gemayel supporters Tuesday night.
Saniora asked the United Nations for "technical assistance" in finding the 34-year-old industry minister's killers, amid widespread accusations that Syria was behind it. Damascus denied the claim.
The prime minister also received a boost from the United States, with President Bush calling him to promise "unwavering support" for his government.
Assassins hit
Gemayel was killed after two cars blocked his vehicle at an intersection in a Beirut suburb as he left a church. Assassins shot him numerous times through a side window.
He was the fifth anti-Syrian figure killed in Lebanon in two years.
Some supporters called for revenge against Syria and its allies. But Pierre Gemayel's father, Amin -- a former president -- and the Maronite Church quickly urged calm, hoping to avert an explosion of violence in the multi-sectarian nation of 4 million already struggling with a deepening political crisis.
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