[AdmSmith]

How come Al-Hayat in Beirut does not know the facts:

1. They are writing Hassan Khomeini, but it should be his relative Hussein Khomeini. They have almost opposite political views.

2. They write "Iran has lost an important link with Iraq following the death of Mohamad Baqir Al Hakim, who was assassinated as soon as he started revealing his stances from the American occupation and the relation with Israel."
Actually it is the opposite: Hakim had important links to the Khatami group and the "reformers" and he was in favor of the US intervention. He was most probably assassinated as he was supporting a secular state and the resurrection of Najaf as a competing centre to Qom.

It is hard to believe that al-Hayat does not know this, but why are they writing as they do?

[nuconvert]

Good observations.
I thought the Hassan Khomeini was a typo/or bit of confusion on typist's part maybe.
I didn't pick-up the Al Hakim paragraph. I do believe that his popularity and strength of following was too much, and there was a fear that Najaf might be the new spiritual center. Couldn't allow that to happen to Qom.