Syria lashes out at Lebanese leaders

The accusations came a day after a succession of Lebanese leaders lashed out at Syria for the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri at a rally marking the second anniversary of the popular leader's death.

Official media did not list names but referred to a specific pair of leaders, understood to be prominent Druze chief and MP Walid Jumblatt and Christian leader Samir Geagea.

Jumblatt launched a virulent attack on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, branding him "the dictator of Damascus... a savage... an Israeli product, a liar... and a criminal."

And Geagea vowed to pursue suspects in Hariri's murder, for which a UN probe has implicated high-level Syrians and their Lebanese accomplices, saying: "We will not surrender and we will not be scared... we will pursue the criminals until the end of time."

Syria's official daily Ath-Thawra said: "They are having nervous breakdowns. The harmful words spoken by the two b******s are beyond all decency and political rules. By their words, these two are trying to cover up the crimes they have committed.

"Some are convinced that the terrorist attack (Tuesday) had been committed by these two, who are also implicated in other attacks aiming to incite dissent" in Lebanon, it added Thursday.

The government daily Tishrin likened Lebanon's majority leaders to snakes who "hiss on the orders of the Americans and Israelis... some of those who shouted like fanatics yesterday did so because the US ambassador (in Lebanon) asked them to."

Syria "has no need for a certificate of good behaviour. Its national standing does not allow it to respond to little traitors' tantrums," Tishrin added.

Anti-Syrian figures said twin bus bombings on Tuesday that rocked a primarily Christian area northeast north of Beirut were designed to disrupt the Hariri commemorations the following day.

Massive outcry after Hariri's killing in a February 2005 bomb blast eventually led to the departure of longtime powerbroker Syria after a 29-year military presence in Lebanon.

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