BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Lebanon's Defense Minister Michel Murr narrowly escaped an assassination attempt Wedensady when a car bomb ripped through his motorcade, killing eight people and wounding 35 others, officials said.
The Christian Greek Orthodox minister suffered a bruised head and later left a cabinet session complaining of pain.
Murr was en route to a cabinet meeting at the presidential headquarters in Beirut when about 165 pounds of explosives loaded in a white-colored Mercedes went off near his convoy in Antelias, 6 miles east of Beirut, the officials said.
A statement by the Defense Ministry said Murr was slightly wounded and his car was damaged. The fiery explosion rocked the war-battered city, sending a big black cloud into the sky.
Hospital and security sources said eight people, including Murr's bodyguard, were killed and 35 others were wounded.
The powerful car bomb, the first in Lebanon this year, left four mutilated bodies and 25 demolished cars at the blackened scene.
Presidential spokeswoman May Kahale told Untied Press International that Murr later joined a cabinet session at the temporary presidential building.
But Murr, his head bandaged, abruptly left the meeting because of severe pain, officials said.
'Such methods are futile,' Murr said, 'We will continue the (peace) march and these methods will only increase our determination,' he said.
The defense minister refused to blame any party for the attempt but said 'I only accuse those who want to obstruct the peace march.'
But the leftist Voice of the People radio station later quoted Information Minister Albert Mansour as accusing Israel of masterminding the blast.
At the end of the cabinet session, Mansour indicated in a statement the conferees did not ratify a plan requiring the disbanding of militias because it was incomplete.
'The cabinet has taken a decision to dissolve the militias,' Mansour said. 'The practical plan to disband militias will be discussed during an extraordinary cabinet session because it was not yet completed by a special committee,' he said.
A special ministerial committee worked out a draft plan that envisages the dissolving of all militias within six months, totaling more than 20,000 Lebanese youths.
The pro-Syrian government of President Elias Hrawi is trying to carry out a national reconciliation agreement adopted by Lebanese lawmakers in October 1989 in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
The cabinet meeting c0-chaired by Hrawi and Prime Minister Omar Karami was the first to be attended by all 30 ministers. It was attended by George Saadeh, the president of the Christian Phalange Party, and Roger Deeb, a politburo member of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia.
Saadeh, the minister of telecommunications, had boycotted the pro- Syrian government for some time. Geagea, who was appointed minister in the cabinet, rejected the seat and chose Dib to represent him.
