On Fri, 25 Jan 2002, rhisiart wrote:
> this link is now at
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1780000/
1780946.stm
Weirdly, if you listen to the two minute real audio interview with the Belgian senator (Vincent van Quickenborne), he seems to say almost exactly the opposite of what's widely attributed to him. He says that Hobeika told him specifically that he *wasn't* going to implicate Sharon any more deeply than he already is. Rather his goal was to exonerate himself -- a quest that strikes me as pretty hopeless. Also he said he would prove his case with documents -- and the Senator seems to think there is a good chance that those documents are in "safe legal hands." In which case, killing him won't have availed much.
I'd really like to believe the Israelis did this. It would mean they were really terrified of the Belgian proceedings. I see no reason why they should be, because frankly I don't think are going to present a real threat to them. But if they thought so and were right and I was wrong, that would be great thing.
But I get the impression there were at least a couple thousands of people of people in Lebanon who wanted this guy dead, and my cynical guess is that one them decided this was a great time to do it and get away with it.
Michael
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com