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CHRONOLOGY-Events in Lebanon since Hariri's killing

Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:11am EST
Nov 23 (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliamentary speaker postponed a vote on Friday that was the last chance to choose a president before the pro-Syrian head of state, Emile Lahoud, leaves office at midnight.

Lack of a deal is expected to escalate the country's year-old political crisis.

Here is a chronology of some of the main events in Lebanon since former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed, along with 22 other people, on Feb. 14, 2005.

Feb. 28 - Pro-Syrian Prime Minister Omar Karami resigns.

March 5 - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tells his parliament Syrian troops will start phased pullout from Lebanon.

April 26 - Last Syrian soldiers leave Lebanon.

June 2 - Samir Kassir, journalist opposed to Syria's role in Lebanon, is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.

June 16 - U.N. investigation into Hariri's killing starts.

June 19 - Lebanese parliamentary elections end in victory for anti-Syrian alliance led by Hariri's son Saad al-Hariri.

June 21 - Former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria George Hawi is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.

Oct. 20 - U.N. investigators say high-ranking Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies were involved in Hariri's killing, in report to U.N. Security Council. Syria denies it.

Dec. 12 - Gebran Tueni, anti-Syrian member of parliament and Lebanese newspaper magnate, is killed by a car bomb near Beirut.

July 12, 2006 - Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers in cross-border raid, setting off 34-day war in which about 1,200 people in Lebanon are killed.

Nov. 11 - Five pro-Syrian Shi'ite Muslim ministers from Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, resign after collapse of all-party talks on giving their camp more say in government.

Nov. 21 - Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is killed by gunmen. U.N. Security Council approves plans for tribunal to try suspects in assassination of Hariri and subsequent attacks. Dec. 1 - Hezbollah, Amal and supporters of Christian leader Michel Aoun camp outside Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's office in central Beirut in open-ended campaign to topple government.

Jan. 25, 2007 - Aid conference in Paris pledges more than $7.6 billion to help Lebanon to recover from the war.

Feb. 13 - Three people are killed in two bomb blasts near a Christian village northeast of Beirut. Lebanon says in March four Syrians confessed to the bombings and were members of Fatah al-Islam, a small Palestinian group linked to Syrian intelligence. The group deny involvement.

June 13 - Anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido and five other people killed by a car bomb near a Beirut beach club.

Sept. 2 - Lebanese troops seize complete control of Nahr al-Bared camp after months of fighting which kills over 300 people in the worst internal violence since the civil war. Sept. 19 - Car bomb in Beirut kills seven people, including Anti-Syrian Christian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.

Nov. 10 - Parliament postpones a presidential election from Nov. 12 to Nov. 21 in a bid to break a deadlock over a consensus candidate and end the political crisis. France leads mediation efforts to reach agreement on a presidential candidate.

Nov. 20 - Lebanese army tightens security in Beirut as parliament session to elect a successor to Lahoud delayed for two days to Nov. 23.

Nov 23 - Parliament postpones vote again after rival leaders failed to agree on candidate. New session set for Nov. 30. Lahoud leaves presidential palace by midnight. (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)





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