Rafik Hariri, a billionaire businessman and former Lebanese prime minister who helped rebuild Beirut from its civil war, was killed Monday in a massive car bomb explosion in the city's downtown district.

The blast was a grim reminder of the dark days of Lebanon's civil war when rival groups and factions routinely targeted each other with car bombs.

In recent years, Lebanon has enjoyed relative peace under the imposed order of the Syrian military - an occupation force that is causing increasing local opposition, which was quietly supported by Mr. Hariri. There is no shortage of potential culprits and motives for Monday's assassination. But analysts say that no matter who was actually behind it, Syria will inevitably be blamed and the Lebanese opposition emboldened.

"Every way you look at this, it's going to be a major blowback on the Syrians," says Michael Young, a Lebanese political analyst. "Nobody is going to look anywhere else with any seriousness."

An initial claim of responsibility came from a previously unknown group calling itself Jihad and Victory in Greater Syria. A statement said the attack was a suicide bombing and described Mr. Hariri as a "collaborator."

The Lebanese opposition announced it would hold an emergency meeting in the evening at Hariri's house.

Damascus condemned the bombing as an "act of terrorism," while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent his condolences to the Hariri family.

"Hariri was the most visible, most influential Lebanese figure around the world," says Farid Khazen, professor of politics at the American University of Beirut. "It's the first major peacetime political assassination. This is as far as you can go when you target someone of Hariri's stature. This has broken taboos."

Hariri was prime minister for 10 of the 15 years since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war and was the driving force behind the massive multibillion dollar reconstruction program here. His last term in office, which ended with his resignation in October, was marred by a cold relationship with the pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud.

Hariri was regarded as a powerful, if de facto, member of the increasingly robust Lebanese opposition which is pressing Syria to withdraw its estimated 14,000 troops from Lebanon and cease interfering in the Lebanese political process.

The billionaire businessman and close personal friend of French President Jacques Chiracnever formally announced he was siding with the opposition. Analysts say that Hariri preferred to keep his options open, especially given his vast financial stake in Lebanon that could have been at risk if he was too vocal in his support for the opposition.

Killing someone of Hariri's stature crosses all red lines, analysts say, and will redouble the resolve of the opposition.

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