Al Qaeda, summarily defeated.
Via LA Times:
AMMAN, Jordan — A huge car bomb rocked central Beirut on Friday, killing at least five people, including a Sunni politician who was a former ambassador to the United States and a prominent critic of Hezbollah. More than 70 people were reported injured.
Plumes of black smoke billowed into the air, and television footage showed scenes of blazing wreckage and scattered debris. Troops formed a security cordon around the area, close to downtown hotels as well as government buildings, including the parliament.
The death of Mohamad Chatah, an economist and diplomat, was confirmed by the Future Movement, a political faction with which Chatah had close ties. He was traveling by convoy at the time of the midmorning blast, and security officials believed he had been specifically targeted.
The attack drew widespread condemnation. Prime Minister Najib Mikati called Chatah a moderate “who believed in dialogue and the language of reason.” There was an outpouring of dismay on social media, on which Chatah had been active.