To Sharon hard luck, Hobeika has taped and wrote his testimony.

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Posted by Antar on January 27, 19102 at 16:23:42:

In Reply to: Detention in Lebanese Assassination posted by AP on January 27, 19102 at 15:55:21:

:http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/ap/20020127/wl/lebanon_assassination_22.html

:Sunday January 27 6:36 AM ET

:Detention in Lebanese Assassination
:By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer

:BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Police have detained a third man in connection with the
:assassination of former Christian warlord Elie Hobeika, police said Sunday.

:Antoine Hannoun Ruhayem, a car dealer in the southern Christian town of
:Jezzine, was picked up Saturday for questioning about the sale of a car later
:rigged with explosives and detonated Thursday to assassinate Hobeika.

:Hobeika, leader of the Christian militiamen who massacred hundreds of
:Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps in Beirut in
1982,
:and three of his bodyguards were killed when the booby-trapped parked car
:exploded as they were leaving Hobeika's east Beirut home. Six others were
:wounded.

:Hobeika, a former minister and member of Parliament, was buried Saturday in
his
:hometown of Baskinta, 15 miles northeast of Beirut.

:In the investigation's first arrests, police detained the car's former owner,
:George Massoud Hanna, and his cousin, Charbel Hanna, in their hometown of Ein
:el-Mir in southern Lebanon.

:George Hanna told investigators he sold his dark blue Mercedes for $9,000 a
:month ago to two men who apparently used false identities.

:Ruhayem owned the Jezzine dealership where George Hanna placed the car for
:sale. Police said he apparently witnessed the sale, police officials said
:Sunday on condition of anonymity.

:Charbel Hanna, who is being detained as another witness to the sale, gave a
:detailed description of the buyers, who are being sought by police, officials
:said.

:Lebanese Interior Minister Elias Murr has blamed Israel for Hobeika's
:assassination - a charge Israel has rejected. Hobeika has said he was
preparing
:to go to Belgium to testify that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was
behind
:the 1982 massacre.

:Sharon was Israeli defense minister then, and Israeli troops controlled access
:to the Sabra and Chatilla camps. An Israeli judicial commission found Sharon
:indirectly responsible for the atrocity, but it was militiamen under Hobeika's
:command who carried it out.

:Massacre survivors are trying to sue Sharon in a Belgium court for crimes
:against humanity.

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Comments: ::http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/ap/20020127/wl/lebanon_assassination_22.html ::Sunday January 27 6:36 AM ET ::Detention in Lebanese Assassination ::By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer ::BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Police have detained a third man in connection with the ::assassination of former Christian warlord Elie Hobeika, police said Sunday. ::Antoine Hannoun Ruhayem, a car dealer in the southern Christian town of ::Jezzine, was picked up Saturday for questioning about the sale of a car later ::rigged with explosives and detonated Thursday to assassinate Hobeika. ::Hobeika, leader of the Christian militiamen who massacred hundreds of ::Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps in Beirut in :1982, ::and three of his bodyguards were killed when the booby-trapped parked car ::exploded as they were leaving Hobeika's east Beirut home. Six others were ::wounded. ::Hobeika, a former minister and member of Parliament, was buried Saturday in :his ::hometown of Baskinta, 15 miles northeast of Beirut. ::In the investigation's first arrests, police detained the car's former owner, ::George Massoud Hanna, and his cousin, Charbel Hanna, in their hometown of Ein ::el-Mir in southern Lebanon. ::George Hanna told investigators he sold his dark blue Mercedes for $9,000 a ::month ago to two men who apparently used false identities. ::Ruhayem owned the Jezzine dealership where George Hanna placed the car for ::sale. Police said he apparently witnessed the sale, police officials said ::Sunday on condition of anonymity. ::Charbel Hanna, who is being detained as another witness to the sale, gave a ::detailed description of the buyers, who are being sought by police, officials ::said. ::Lebanese Interior Minister Elias Murr has blamed Israel for Hobeika's ::assassination - a charge Israel has rejected. Hobeika has said he was :preparing ::to go to Belgium to testify that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was :behind ::the 1982 massacre. ::Sharon was Israeli defense minister then, and Israeli troops controlled access ::to the Sabra and Chatilla camps. An Israeli judicial commission found Sharon ::indirectly responsible for the atrocity, but it was militiamen under Hobeika's ::command who carried it out. ::Massacre survivors are trying to sue Sharon in a Belgium court for crimes ::against humanity.

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