news.yahoo.com
February 21, 2013
Rafik Hariri, a billionaire developer who plunged into the maelstrom of Lebanese politics to rebuild his war-ravaged country and twice served as prime minister, was assassinated on Feb. 14, 2005, in a huge car bomb explosion in Beirut.
He had served as prime minister a total of 10 years, stepping down last in 2004 over Syrian interference in Lebanon.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon began proceedings on the attack in March 2009, near The Hague. The court's mandate was to try those deemed responsible for the bombing, a politically inflammable issue because it is widely believed that both Hezbollah, the militant Shiite group that controls south Lebanon, and Syria were involved. In June 2011 the court delivered indictments to prosecutors naming four men — including two suspected members of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, which is allied with Syria, remains the most powerful political and military force in Lebanon, and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has made clear that he will not accept any indictment of Hezbollah members by the court. Some have speculated that the tribunal's prosecutors will charge Hezbollah members of playing accessory roles in the fatal car bombing, because they were unable to find enough evidence against the main perpetrators.
In January 2011, Hezbollah and its allies forced the collapse of the Lebanese government, deepening the crisis over the United Nations-backed tribunal.�
Biography
Mr. Hariri was born in 1944 in Sidon, an ancient port city on the Mediterranean. The son of a vegetable vendor, he earned a degree in business administration at Arab University in Beirut and then chose the path taken by many enterprising young Arabs of his day: In 1965, he left home to seek his fortune in Saudi Arabia.
He became a favorite of the Saudi royal family, even gaining Saudi citizenship, a connection that would prove invaluable after he returned to Lebanon and sought to re-establish its reputation as a tourism and financial center after the civil war.
While Mr. Hariri was accused by some Lebanese of driving the country into debt with his ambitious rebuilding plans, he was also praised as the architect of its rebirth and renewed confidence after the devastation of 15 years of civil war, from 1975 to 1990. Unlike some of the more impetuous Lebanese clan and religious leaders, Mr. Hariri carefully avoided direct criticism of Syria's role as Lebanon's overlord.
His long-running rivalry with �mile Lahoud, the pro-Syrian Lebanese president, defined much of his political career. It prompted him to resign in 1998, after his first six years in office. He was re-elected in 2000.
In 2004, when Damascus insisted on keeping Mr. Lahoud in office beyond the constitutional limit, Mr. Hariri resigned, a move that was widely interpreted as a definitive rupture with Syria.
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The possibility that an international tribunal will indict Hezbollah members for a role in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is raising tensions in Lebanon.
July 25, 2010worldNews AnalysisSome analysts say the team investigating the assassination has been slowed by the cultural and political murk of two Middle Eastern societies.
December 18, 2005weekinreviewNewsOver 100,000 mourners carried Lebanese flags and shouted "Syria Out" in protest of the dominant role Syria's forces have played in the country since the 1970's.
February 17, 2005NewsRafik Hariri was a Lebanese billionaire who tried to rebuild his war-ravaged country and twice served as prime minister.
February 15, 2005Obituary (Obit)The prolonged absence of Saad Hariri, the leader of the nation's Sunni community now in self-imposed exile, has brought dismay among followers, but it has also created an opening for new voices.
September 20, 2012, ThursdayThe United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister said it had received the long-overdue half of its budget from Beirut, about $32 million.
December 02, 2011, FridayThe various blocs fighting for power in Beirut fortify their positions on the conflict in Damascus, while some groups are forced to the extremes.
December 01, 2011, ThursdayA United Nations-backed court heard arguments on holding a trial in absentia for the four Hezbollah members who indicted in the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, in 2005.
November 12, 2011, SaturdayThe United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the killing of Lebanon’s former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, has formed its first trial chamber.
September 10, 2011, SaturdayA U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the killing of a former Lebanese leader released its indictment against members of Hezbollah named in the killing.
August 18, 2011, ThursdayThe Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an opportunity for a judicial awakening in the region.
July 13, 2011, WednesdayNo matter what Hezbollah says, the men accused of Rafik Hariri’s murder must be arrested.
July 12, 2011, TuesdayHassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, vowed that four members of his group indicted in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister, would never be arrested.
July 03, 2011, SundayThe United Nations tribunal issued indictments for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which unleashed years of discord.
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