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February 14, 2009

Tens of Thousands in Beirut to Mark Anniversary of Hariri Killing
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Former prime minister, 22 other people were killed in Beirut on February
14, 2005, when massive truck bomb exploded as his convoy passed 
Thousands of Lebanese attend rally, near grave of slain leader Rafik
Hariri at Martyrs' Square, in downtown Beirut, 14 Feb 2009 Tens of
thousands of people have gathered in downtown Beirut to mark the fourth
anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. Many at the rally in Martyrs' Square waved red-white-and-green
Lebanese flags or the banners of their political parties. At times, the
massive gathering was less a memorial ceremony than a partisan political
rally in support of the ruling coalition led by the slain prime
minister's son, Saad Hariri. Party leaders from his March 14 coalition
vowed to win Lebanon's next parliamentary election in June. They also
welcomed next month's scheduled opening of the United Nations special
tribunal aimed at bringing the killers to justice. The tribunal was
staunchly opposed by the Syrian-allied opposition parties. The former
prime minister and 22 other people were killed in Beirut on February 14,
2005, when a massive truck bomb exploded as his convoy passed. Many of
the remarks at the rally pointed to the political divides that have
deepened in Lebanon since Mr. Hariri was killed. Many Lebanese blame
Syria for the assassination, but Syria has denied responsibility. A U.N.
investigation has implicated senior Syrian officials. Under pressure
from Lebanon and the United Nations, Syria pulled its 14,000 troops out
of Lebanon about two and a half months after the Hariri killing. After
the Syrian withdrawal, tensions grew between the Western-allied March 14
group and the opposition, which is backed by Syria and Iran. The
political divide boiled over into street fighting in May of last year,
in the worst political and sectarian violence the country has seen since
the end of its long civil war. Mr. Hariri, who twice served as prime
minister, is widely credited for helping rebuild Beirut after a 15-year
civil war. His assassination shocked Lebanon and the international
community. A series of other political assassinations have rocked
Lebanon in 
the four years since then, most of them targeting politicians and
journalists allied with the ruling coalition. Some information for this
report was provided by AFP and AP. 


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