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Al-Qaida links studied in death

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Army investigators on Thursday looked into the possible involvement of al-Qaida-inspired extremists in the bombing that killed a Lebanese general who had led a major offensive against Islamic militants.

The beleaguered government sought to reassure the public, where many were worried that even the military - seen as the sole institution holding the country together - was now a target in Lebanon's unending political turmoil.

Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj, chief of the military's operations, and his driver were killed as he left his home for work Wednesday when a parked car bomb exploded in Baabda, a Christian suburb east of Beirut.

Four Lebanese who were believed connected to the car used in the blast were being questioned, officials said.

Hajj led a military campaign that crushed an al-Qaida-inspired militant group known as Fatah Islam in Nahr el-Bared, a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. That raised suspicion the assassination may have been an act of revenge.

Another possibility is that Hajj was targeted because he was considered a leading candidate to become army chief, the officials said.

His slaying came as Lebanon is embroiled in a yearlong crisis over electing a new president. The post has been left empty since Emile Lahoud's term ended Nov. 23, with supporters of the Western-backed government and the opposition, led by pro-Syrian Hezbollah, unable to agree on a successor.

President Bush condemned the assassination and took a tough tone against Syria, calling on it to stop interference in Lebanon.

[Last modified December 14, 2007, 01:18:22]