Hariri probe winds down
Posted by Charles II on January 17, 2011
The UN has finally completed its investigation of the assassination of Rafik Hariri. The first probe had to be abandoned because it had been deeply corrupted, with witnesses being offered huge sums in exchange for their testimony. Robert Parry has reviewed the history here:
In 2009, the UN tribunal examining Hariri’s murder and other terrorist acts in Lebanon had acknowledged that it lacked the evidence to indict the four Lebanese security officials who had been held without formal charges since 2005. Finally, Judge Daniel Fransen of a special international tribunal ordered the four imprisoned security officials released.
In a similar situation – say, one that involved a U.S. ally – the release would have been viewed as proof of innocence or at least the absence of significant evidence of guilt.
The report has not yet been unsealed. And, as Parry says, the fact that the original probe was so incompetent and corrupt will weaken the credibility of this report. But this is a story we covered early on and will continue to cover even if the evidence leads us to overcome our skepticism that Syria was behind it.
3 Responses to “Hariri probe winds down”
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Mercury Rising 鳯女 
jo6pac said
It took significant skill and the best of explosives to pull this off.
I’ve been reading about this since it happened here and other sites and the above has always bothered me. I doubt locals did this only a few countries in the world could pull this off and only one of them is in the middle east. Thanks for the update
Phoenix Woman said
Lemme guess — they’re trying to pin it on Hezbollah when he, as the guy who ripped out the heart of Beirut, destroying centuries-old suqs or marketplaces, just so he could put up a shiny new place for the world’s jet-setters to shop, had more enemies than could be easily counted?
Charles II said
The report should be opened sometime in the near future.
I think the UN is trying to regain lost credibility and hope that the report will be persuasive. I am not quite as cynical as Jo on this one, but I think he’s right that this was a pretty sophisticated hit. Not something that Hamas could pull off. Hezbollah… probably not back then. It’s gotten very sophisticated in tactics and weaponry since then. I can’t think of a motive for Israel or the US, either of which do have sophisticated capability, but of course there are plenty of things under heaven which I am not aware of. I’m not sure that Hariri’s local enemies have the capability. So, I’m persuadable, wherever the trail leads.