It’s been nearly seven years since a truck laden with 2,200 pounds of explosives detonated near a convoy of vehicles on Beirut’s waterfront, killing former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 other people — including members of his entourage and bystanders. Since then many accusations and rumors have been tossed around: it was Syrian intelligence, or Israel’s Mossad, or perhaps al-Qaida, Palestinian militants, Hezbollah and so on.
As it stands, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is prosecuting the case from the Netherlands for security reasons, has indicted four members of Hezbollah. Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, continually says that the four will not be handed over under any circumstances. The Lebanese Internal Security Forces are, in theory, looking for the four. Everyone here knows they aren’t — Hezbollah outguns the ISF by a large margin. As the Special Tribunal for Lebanon trudges along in its prosecution of the case, I’ve been asking Lebanese what they think of the STL, who they think actually killed Hariri, and if they still care.
If there’s one common theme here among the average Lebanese… I’d have to say its apathy.
If there’s one common theme here among the average Lebanese and their feelings towards the STL and the investigation as a whole, I’d have to say its apathy. Of course, I’m speaking to a fraction of a fraction of people in one of the world’s most politically charged countries. Most Lebanese do want to see justice served. But the STL’s past controversies play directly into the hands of its detractors and even those who might be on the fence about who was responsible for the attack. Several years ago crowds stopped gathering in Martyr’s Square on the anniversary of Hariri’s death. The former premier’s legacy has since slipped into the depths of political bickering — his name and likeness are constantly invoked by his son, Saad, also a former PM, to rally a faltering opposition. There seems to be a Rafik Hariri-as-martyr fatigue across much of the country.
On November 11, the STL will hear arguments from the defense and prosecution. In absentia proceedings are expected to move forward following this and the case should, in theory, be in full swing by next spring. Will any verdict, guilty or non-guilty, really matter in Lebanon? A guilty verdict will add more fuel to Saad Hariri and the March 14 opposition movement’s rhetoric. Hezbollah will surely dismiss any guilty verdict out of hand. Either way, it’s a safe bet that many politicians here don’t care who was behind the assassination, either, as long as they can continue to use it to attack their opponents. And as always, the Lebanese will be in the middle.
Click here for Jeff Neumann’s in depth report “Hariri Assassination Still Clouds Lebanese Politics” on VOANews.com
Jeff Neumann
Jeff is a Beirut-based journalist, where he primarily covers the Levant. He's lived and worked in the Middle East and North Africa, from Iraq to Egypt and the Gulf.