Bush took Hariri's death personally

The Daily Star (Leb) ^ | 2/18/05 | Edward S. Walker/Maggie Mitchell-Salem

[abu afak]

Special to The Daily Star

This week, former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri joined a pantheon of modern Middle Eastern statesmen - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin - who dared to challenge the status quo and paid dearly for their vision. On Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese from all social and religious groups came together for his funeral, marking the occasion with unprecedented national unity and defying those who continue to manipulate internal tensions in order to justify Syria's occupation. Today, and for the foreseeable future, the international community should sustain Lebanese resolve and join the opposition's call for Syria's immediate and full withdrawal.

Hariri dedicated his life to Lebanon's rebirth; his death may secure the country's freedom and restore its badly tarnished democratic institutions, but only if his old friends in foreign capitals - Washington, Paris and Riyadh- work in concert and deny his assassins their objective: silencing Lebanon's nascent opposition.

For more than 25 years, Hariri championed an independent, free, sovereign Lebanon. He did so not as an expatriate, but as a participant in endless cease-fire negotiations, interim arrangements and finally the Taif Accord, which ended the country's 15-year civil war. In peace, he left an even greater legacy, leading his country through a tortuous postwar reconstruction process and restoring Beirut's former glory as a premier tourist destination.

But he will be remembered most for his last act in politics. He resigned in October 2004 after Syrian pressure led Lebanon's Parliament to amend the Constitution and renew the tenure of Damascus' devoted ally, President Emile Lahoud. Many contend that Hariri's principled stand cost him his life.

Tragically, Lebanon's recent history is littered with scores of unsolved assassinations, many attributed to Syria...."

See link for very good balance of article

[livius]

Good article. Assad should go bye-bye.

I read that Chirac is suddenly being villified by his former Baathist buddies for having showed up at Hariri's funeral. Interesting.

[elhombrelibre]

This is Europe's test. Will they stand with those in Lebanon who are real insurgents wanting to free their country from Syrian interference, or will they pursue cheap anti-Americanism to the detriment of the Lebanese people the same way they've turned their back on the Iraqis? Time will tell, and we shall see.

[kenavi]

Peoples who have been through hell can emerge with the greatest wisdom.

This was a great post. We should all pray for the emergence of a free and unified Lebanon.

[Clemenza]

Lest we forget, Hariri was a Texan by adoption. He owned a subtantial real estate portfolio there and lived in Houston while in exile.