Horrific Envelop of Hamadeh's Slain Escort Remains

An envelop carrying the signature of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces has been delivered to the family of Marwan Hamadeh's slain escort Sgt. Ghazi Bou Karroum, containing remains of his brain, tongue and teeth in what An Nahar described Tuesday as an "unprecedented act of provocation to kill the martyr twice." An Nahar and others said Bou Karroum's brother Karim found the envelop at his side during his brother's funeral in his hometown of Mazraat al Chouf on Saturday, a day after Ghazi was ripped to shreds by a remote-controlled car-bomb targeting Hamadeh's motorcade in Beirut. Karim asked a companion in the funeral to put the envelope in his car. When a smell whiffed from the envelop the next day, Sunday, Karim opened it "only to find the provocative remains instead of evidence pointing to the culprits," An Nahar reported. "The barbaric affair touched off an outrage in the town with dignitaries vowing vengeance and declared the martyr's blood would not go to waste," An Nahar said. The Progressive Socialist Party of Walid Jumblat urged the authorities to investigate the envelop incident. Hamadeh was reported by the AUH Tuesday as making an accelerated progress toward full recovery. The flood of well-wishers continued without letup into a fifth straight day. The ex-economy minister and Jumblat's lifetime PSP comrade gave his testimony about the assassination attempt to investigating magistrates Jean Fahd and Samih Hajj on Monday. It was not spelled out to the press.

Beirut, Updated 05 Oct 04, 12:08