no bad credit for us

[Stephen Boykin]

One of Hariri's senior bodyguards and officials at the American University in Beirut hospital confirmed Hariri's death to CNN.

The hospital, which said it had seen another nine bodies and more than 100 injuries, said Hariri was dead on arrival.

Former Economy Minister Basil Fuleihan, riding in the motorcade, was critically wounded, Reuters reported.

Witnesses reported seeing at least 10 bodies on the scene of Monday's explosion, which caused widespread destruction.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast.

Hariri, 60, a multi-billionaire businessman who resigned from government last October, recently joined calls by the opposition for Syria to quit Lebanon in the run-up to general elections in May, Reuters reported.

Hariri served as prime minister from 1992-98 and again from 2000 until his resignation after parliament amended the Lebanese constitution to extend Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud's term by three years. Lahoud had been set to leave office last November.

At least six fires were burning in the immediate aftermath of the blast, which took place at shortly after 1 p.m. (1100 GMT).

The powerful blast took place in front of the five-star hotels St. George and Phoenicia-Intercontinental in the Lebanese capital's famed Cornische overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Re'ove :)
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