Elias Murr
Encyclopedia
Elias Murr (born 1962 in Bteghrine
) is the former Lebanese
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. He held the positions of Deputy Prime minister and Interior Minister in previous Cabinets.
He is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Michel Murr
and was the son-in-law of the former President Émile Lahoud
.
Murr was wounded in a bombing in Beirut
on July 12, 2005. The explosion happened in the city of Antelias
5 km north of Beirut
. Al Jazeera
reported two other people with injuries. Police stated one killed and a dozen injured.
, via Al Akhbar
, that in 2008 Murr had offered advice on how Israel could defeat Hezbollah if a new war erupted on Israel's northern border. It was also revealed that Murr "displayed clear sectarian bias in advising Israel not to attack the Christian areas of the country while apparently having no qualms about bombs falling on the heads of Shia civilians". He is quoted as having said:
Bteghrine
Bteghrine is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.- Etymology :The exact origin of the name Bteghrine is unknown, but possibilities include Place of Warriors, Place of Rocks, and House of the Saddest - references to a large battle in the area around 1290...
) is the former Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. He held the positions of Deputy Prime minister and Interior Minister in previous Cabinets.
He is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Michel Murr
Michel Murr
Michel Murr is a Lebanese politician and businessman. He first occupied the post of Minister of the Interior, as well as being Deputy Prime Minister in Rafik Hariri's first cabinet in 1992 and remained in the post in all subsequent cabinets formed by Hariri, except the last one, in which his son,...
and was the son-in-law of the former President Émile Lahoud
Émile Lahoud
General Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...
.
Murr was wounded in a bombing in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
on July 12, 2005. The explosion happened in the city of Antelias
Antelias
Antelias is a town in Lebanon. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Its inhabitants are mainly Christians and include Armenians , Maronites, Greek Catholics and Greek Orthodox ....
5 km north of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
reported two other people with injuries. Police stated one killed and a dozen injured.
Accusations of Sabotage
In December 2010 it was revealed by WikiLeaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, via Al Akhbar
Al Akhbar (Lebanon)
-History:The newspaper started printing and distribution in July 2006. It was established by Joseph Samaha and Brahim El Ameen, both considered to be among the most renowned Lebanese journalists. Samaha died from a stroke few months after the publishing of the paper...
, that in 2008 Murr had offered advice on how Israel could defeat Hezbollah if a new war erupted on Israel's northern border. It was also revealed that Murr "displayed clear sectarian bias in advising Israel not to attack the Christian areas of the country while apparently having no qualms about bombs falling on the heads of Shia civilians". He is quoted as having said:
“Israel would do well to avoid two things when it comes for Hizballah One, it must not touch the Blue Line or the UNSCR 1701 areas as this will keep Hizballah out of these areas. Two, Israel cannot bomb bridges and infrastructure in the Christian areas. The Christians were supporting Israel in 2006 until they started bombing their bridges. If Israel has to bomb all of these places in the Shia areas as a matter of operational concern, that is Hizballah's problem.”