In a satirical article titled "Reports Say He's Weeping," editor of the London daily Al-Hayat, Ghassan Shirbil, writes that Syrian authorities know from "Syrian intelligence reports" that assassinated Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri still lives, and that these reports recommend assassinating him again, this time with two car bombs. The idea conveyed by the article is that Al-Hariri's spirit - the spirit of free Lebanon - has not been assassinated.

The following are excerpts: [1]

"This is a Man Whose Death Cannot Be Taken for Granted, Even if His Body Has Been Blown to Pieces"

"The security apparatuses must raise [their level] of alert. The number of detectives and spies must be increased, cameras and eavesdropping equipment must be repositioned. Negligence is inconceivable and even dangerous. Those who write reports must be more perceptive and more vigilant. This man cannot be trusted. There must be a central operations room to pick up every snippet of information, to gauge the accuracy of data and rumors, to carry out subtle in-depth analyses, to interpret every murmur and mumble. There is a rumor that he did not [really] die… but was only wounded, that he has only become more obstinate, and that he continues to pursue his dreams as he always did. He refuses to rest and to let others rest. This is a man whose death cannot be taken for granted, even if his body has been blown to pieces. They must place detectives in the [very] veins of his mind, to decode the signs and symbols. They must expose the ambush he is preparing, the conspiracy he is forming and the uprising whose seeds he is sowing. This is a man whose innocence cannot be taken for granted even when he is lying flat surrounded by flower wreaths.

"Report No. 1: He still gets up early in the morning, listens to the news and smiles, and receives morning visitors. A few days ago, he was seen surrounded by advisors, opening maps and examining them in detail. He asked about dates, his face reflecting disapproval. The urge to get things done has not left him. [He believes that] the reconstruction enterprise must not be hindered by the scorn of those who scoff. Rumors say that at night he secretly sets out to patrol the city and beyond it. He is pained by the scenes of destruction and is angered by the delay in repairing roads and bridges…"

"The First Assassination Has Failed to Affect His Abilities…"

"Report No. 2: We suggest intensifying the efforts to bleed and exhaust him. It is a mistake to ease the pressure on him and to imagine that he is gone. The first assassination has failed to affect his ability to prepare surprise [attacks]. He will seize every opportunity to resume his activities. If left alone for even a moment, he may open a highway, repair an entire neighborhood, lay a cornerstone for a school or hospital or establish a clinic or a university. Who knows, he may even reconstruct an entire city, or resume granting scholarships and handing out diplomas to the graduates. This is a man who does not change his habits just because his place of residence has changed.

"Report No. 3: We must make sure that his phone lines are disconnected, that his Internet service is off and that no carrier pigeon dares approach [him]. There are rumors that his telephone never rests, and that it always awakens the decision makers in the capitals where decisions are made. It can be stated with certainty that he has made too many phone calls in the recent weeks, and that the third Paris conference has its fingerprints on it. These fingerprints must be picked up and kept with the other evidence, in preparation for his coming trial."

"This is a Man Who Refuses to Die, Refuses to Learn... We Recommend Assassinating Him Again…"

"Report No. 4: At night, a scent of weeping wafts through the air. The detectives say that he wept when he met Samir Kassir, George Hawi, Jubran Tweini and Pierre Amin Gemayel. He also wept when Israel sowed death in the Al-Dhahiya neighborhood [in Beirut], in the South [of Lebanon] and in the Beqa [Valley]. He weeps whenever the scent of civil war rises [in the air]…

"Conclusion of the reports: This is a man who refuses to die, refuses to learn. He interferes in the country's affairs on a daily basis, as though he [still] sits in [his] Qureitem [palace], as though he still sits in the government building. He stole the show as prime minister, he stole the show as an oppositionist and [now] he is stealing the show as a martyr. We recommend assassinating him again, this time using two trucks [full of explosives]…"