The U.N. Security Council has warned perpetrators of terrorist acts in Lebanon that they will not be allowed to threaten the country's stability. The Council also condemned the latest bomb attack on a Lebanese journalist.
The 15-member Security Council issued a statement Wednesday describing as "terrorism" the recent attempt to assassinate prominent Lebanese television journalist May Chidiac.
Ms. Chidiac was critically injured when a bomb went off in her car in a Beirut suburb last Sunday. There have been at least a dozen such attacks since February, when a similar bomb killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The Security Council statement, read by Deputy Ambassador Bayani Mercado of the Philippines, welcomed the determination of Lebanese authorities to bring perpetrators of terrorist crimes to justice.
"The members of the Security Council warned that those responsible for such crimes will not be permitted to jeopardize the stability, sovereignty, democracy, and national unity of Lebanon," he said.
Ms. Chidiac is a talk show host and news anchor on a popular Lebanese television station. She is well known for her opposition to Syria's involvement in Lebanon.
U.N. investigators are already in Lebanon probing the Hariri assassination. They spent four days last week questioning officials in Syria, though Syria has repeatedly denied any involvement in the assassination.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was quoted as saying the attack on Ms. Chidiac was related to the Hariri investigation. There is widespread speculation it may also be linked to the killing of journalist Samir Kassir, who had long advocated Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Mr. Kassir died in a similar bomb explosion in June.
The Hariri assassination led to protests and international pressure on Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. Syria has repeatedly denied any involvement.
The Security Council ordered an international probe of the Hariri killing after determining that Lebanon's initial investigation was flawed. The investigation is being led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis. He is due to release his findings before the end of the year.
