One million Lebanese stood on the Martyr’s square in Beirut on 14 March 2005. This was about a quarter of the population in the country. They demanded the removal of the Syrian troops, and the truth about who killed Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri one month earlier. The Lebanese were furious about the killing of “Mr Lebanon” on 14 February. He had helped rebuild Beirut from the ruins of the civil war. A UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution called for an international investigation into the murder. The UNSC had already called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces. Finally Syria pulled out its forces in April 2005.
Protesters heading to
Martyrs' Square on foot and in vehicles.
In June 2009 Rafiq’s son Saad al-Hariri became Prime Minister, and held the post until June 2011. The same month, a UN Tribunal that had investigated the assassination on Rafiq al-Hariri issued arrest warrants for four suspects. They were commanders and operatives of Hezbollah, the Shia militia and political party. The UNSC has called for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, but that has not happened yet. On the contrary they have become more active over the last 2-3 years as the demonstrations in Syria escalated into war.
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
A poster of the 14 March rally during the revolution.
Background
Rafiq al-Hariri was a Sunni Muslim moved to Saudi Arabia in 1966 and
became a contracting business man and made a fortune. In October 1992 he became
Prime Minister of Lebanon and started the rebuilding of Beirut. He resigned
after friction with his long-time rival President Emile Lahoud in 1998. He was
re-elected PM in 2000 and tried to revitalize the economy and rebuild Southern
Lebanon. Israeli forces had occupied Southern Lebanon since their invasion in
1982, and withdrew in 2000.
Syria had intervened in the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 and had forces
there since. The number of
Syrian troops stationed in 2005 varies from 17.000 (Global Security) to 40.000 Robert Fisk.
Sources and more
information
I am open to your
comments and proposals.
Warmly
Bjarte Bjørsvik
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