A dual Australian-Israel citizen was killed in action with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon yesterday. He was one of nine Israeli soldiers killed in a Hizb'Allah ambush near the guerilla stronghold of Bint Jbeil. Sergeant Asaf Namer was close to completing his two years of volunteer military service. Born in Israel, he emigrated to Sydney, Australia, as a child with his mother and older sister in 1991. He returned to his birth country to be with his father and was living with his grandmother in the town on Kiryat Yam, near Haifa.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said: "I just want to say how sad I am that an Australian has been killed and obviously we extend our condolences to the family ... He was in the last month of his national service so it's particularly sad circumstances surrounding his death." Australian Labor Party leader Kim Beazley said he was "deeply sorry" about Mr Namer's death. "He was obviously fighting for something he believed in."
Sixteen years ago an Australian citizen reportedly played a critical player in an act of terrorism in Lebanon.
It involved General Michael Aoun who had commanded the Lebanese Army from the mid 1980s. In 1988 he became prime minister of an interim government and cracked down on the various militia groups in the country and waged a 'War of Liberation' against the Syrian Army in Lebanon. In October 1990 he was removed from power by Syrian and pro-Syrian forces and exiled to France.
On 12 October 1990, just before he was forced to resign, Aoun went into the palace grounds to greet thousands of his followers. From the crowd, Francois Habib Halal opened fire with a hand gun and fired four shots at the prime minister. The asassinatioon attempt failed but one bystander was killed. Hillal was a member of the Syrian Ba'ath Party, a Shi'ite from southern Lebanon but with Australian citizenship.
He was arrested but General Aoun gave orders that he should be well treated and handed over to the proper authorities for investigation. Hallal was released from prison the very next day after the Syrian army's 13 October onslaught against Aoun. He then gave a press conference at Syrian Baath Party (Lebanese Branch) offices in Beirut. The Baath Secretary General, Abdallah Al-Amin introduced Hallal as a national hero of the Arab cause. He reportedly still lives in South Beirut.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said: "I just want to say how sad I am that an Australian has been killed and obviously we extend our condolences to the family ... He was in the last month of his national service so it's particularly sad circumstances surrounding his death." Australian Labor Party leader Kim Beazley said he was "deeply sorry" about Mr Namer's death. "He was obviously fighting for something he believed in."
Sixteen years ago an Australian citizen reportedly played a critical player in an act of terrorism in Lebanon.
It involved General Michael Aoun who had commanded the Lebanese Army from the mid 1980s. In 1988 he became prime minister of an interim government and cracked down on the various militia groups in the country and waged a 'War of Liberation' against the Syrian Army in Lebanon. In October 1990 he was removed from power by Syrian and pro-Syrian forces and exiled to France.
On 12 October 1990, just before he was forced to resign, Aoun went into the palace grounds to greet thousands of his followers. From the crowd, Francois Habib Halal opened fire with a hand gun and fired four shots at the prime minister. The asassinatioon attempt failed but one bystander was killed. Hillal was a member of the Syrian Ba'ath Party, a Shi'ite from southern Lebanon but with Australian citizenship.
He was arrested but General Aoun gave orders that he should be well treated and handed over to the proper authorities for investigation. Hallal was released from prison the very next day after the Syrian army's 13 October onslaught against Aoun. He then gave a press conference at Syrian Baath Party (Lebanese Branch) offices in Beirut. The Baath Secretary General, Abdallah Al-Amin introduced Hallal as a national hero of the Arab cause. He reportedly still lives in South Beirut.
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