Walid Eido

Walid Eido
Born 2 April 1942
Beirut, French Mandate of Lebanon
Died 13 June 2007(2007-06-13) (aged 65)
Beirut
Nationality Lebanese
Alma mater Lebanese University
Occupation Judge and politician
Religion Islam

Walid Eido (Arabic: وليد عيدو‎‎[1942 - 13 June 2007) was a member of the Current for the Future, Lebanese political movement and a member of the Lebanese Parliament. He was also a member of the March 14 Coalition.[1]

Early life and education

Eido was born on 2 April 1942 to a Sunni Muslim family in the Bachoura neighborhood of Beirut.[2] He graduated from Lebanese University with a degree in law in 1966, and became a magistrate in 1967.[2]

Career and activities

Eido was a member of the Sunni Murabetoun militia during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.[3] In the late 1990s, he was north Lebanon's public prosecutor, but he had to resign after being accused of accepting bribes.[2] He was later named as President of the Beirut Court of Appeal, a role from which he resigned in 2000 to be a candidate to the parliamentary elections on the same year.[4]

While on Rafik Hariri's list, a then-unknown Walid Eido was elected as a representative of Beirut's second constituency in 2000[5][6] and in 2005.[7][8] After Syria's withdrawal of Lebanon, Eido became a critic of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanese President Émile Lahoud.[9] He was the head of the defense committee and a member of several others in the parliament. On 6 April 2007, Eido asked Lebanon’s prime minister Fouad Siniora to end the current standoff and replace the resigned ministers. Eido said "it is time to end this resignation mockery by replacing the resigned ministers in accordance with the constitution so that the government can go back to work."

Eido was a supporter of the tribunal and a close friend of Rafik Hariri. Following the 2006 Lebanon War, Eido reportedly said: “We will sell our blood to buy weapons and confront [Hezbollah]. We will never let them control the country."[10]

Assassination

A parked Mitsubishi Pajero four-wheel vehicle packed with 80 kg (177 lbs) of explosives blew up as Eido's car was driving away from a Beirut beach club on 13 June 2007, killing him and six other people.[1][11][12] His eldest son Khaled was also killed in the blast.[13] Eido was at the age of 65.[14]

Several citizens were also killed, two of whom were Nejmeh footballers,[15] Hussein Naeem and Hussein Dokmak. The explosion occurred at the Manara district of western Beirut late afternoon.[16] The bomb detonated around 5:30 pm on a side street between the Nejmeh Football Club and the Luna Park amusement center along Beirut’s Corniche, a seaside road dotted with tourist and family destinations such as beach resorts, hotels, and cafés.[16]

Eido was assassinated just three days after the UN Security Council Resolution 1757 came into effect, mandating the establishment of a hybrid Lebanese-international tribunal to investigate suspects of the Hariri assassination and other similar attacks.[17] He was the seventh anti-Syrian politician and third member of the Lebanese parliament killed since the assassination of Rafik Hariri on 14 February 2005.[1] The death of Walid Eido reduced then March 14 alliance’s parliamentary majority to 68 out of 126 MPs total.[16] The assassination was condemned by the UN Security Council.[18]

Personal life

Eido was married and a father of three sons, Khaled, Zaher and Mazen. Eido was an avid swimmer.[3] His late eldest son Khaled was a lawyer.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vanessa E. Shields; Nicholas Baldwin (2008). Beyond Settlement: Making Peace Last After Civil Conflict. Associated University Presse. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-8386-4183-5. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Flint, Julie (18 June 2007). "Walid Eido". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Factbox-Five facts about slain Lebanese MP Walid Eido". Reuters. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "وليد عيدو "القاضي المشاكس" يلحق بركب رفيق الحريري.. وموجة استنكار واسعة لعودة مسلسل الاغتيالات إلى لبنان, أخبــــــار". Alsharq Alawsat. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Opposition Candidates Win Elections". APS Diplomat Recorder. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Murr Releases Official Results of Lebanon's Second Round of Elections". Albawaba. 5 September 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Fakih, Mohalhel (26 May – 1 June 2005). "As the old symbols topple". Al Ahram Weekly. 744. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Lebanon's Elections 2005: Updated Electoral Lists". Ya Libnan. 21 May 2005. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Lebanese lawmaker killed in Beirut blast". CNN. 13 June 2007.
  10. ↑ Slackman, Michael (27 November 2006). "Chilling Echo for Lebanon, Mirror of Regional Tension". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  11. ↑ "Blast rocks Beirut's waterfront". BBC. 13 June 2007.
  12. ↑ "Lebanon MP assassination condemned worldwide, but Syria silent". Ya Libnan. 14 June 2007.
  13. ↑ "Lebanon MP Walid Eido was the assassination target". Ya Libnan. 13 June 2007.
  14. ↑ "Recent assassinations". The Boston Globe. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  15. ↑ Nejmeh Club, Lebanon
  16. 1 2 3 "MP Walid Eido assassinated in Manara car bombing". Now Lebanon. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  17. ↑ Rym Ghazal; Hani M. Bathish (14 June 2007). "March 14 MP Walid Eido assassinated in Beirut bombing". The Daily Star. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  18. ↑ "Security council presidential statement condemns Beirut terrorist attack". UN Security Council. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  19. ↑ "Lebanese stars". From Beirut to the Beltway. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
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