Minister Dermot Ahern expresses shock at murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., expressed his shock at the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a bomb attack this morning which also claimed the lives of at least eight other people. The Minister offered his condolences to the families of the former Prime Minister and all those killed and injured in the attack, and expressed his hopes for a speedy recovery for those injured.

The Minister paid tribute to Mr. Hariri's efforts while in office to reconstruct the Lebanese economy in the aftermath of Lebanon's protracted civil war. He condemned the bombing unreservedly, and expressed the hope that all Lebanese political leaders would unite in their determination to ensure that violence does not return to, and has no place in, Lebanese politics.