New Evidence Points to Hezbollah in Hariri Murder

The deeper the investigators in Beirut penetrated into the case, the clearer the picture became, according to the SPIEGEL source. They have apparently discovered which Hezbollah member obtained the small Mitsubishi truck used in the attack. They have also been able to trace the origins of the explosives, more than 1,000 kilograms of TNT, C4 and hexogen.

Click here to read more

Hariri threw back the ball to Hezbollah`s court

In summary, the speech that Hariri gave tonight at 8:10 pm, in response to Nasrallah's press conference this afternoon, concluded in 4 main points which Hariri believes if Nasrallah complies by them, then he does mean well.
1- Within the army regime, there will be ones assigned to investigate the Chief Shoukair issue
2- Reopen the road to the airport and free Beirut from its siege
3- Elect General Michel Sleiman as President
4- Sit together and try to talk things thru led by the newly elected president.

Hariri also highly insisted that he does not want a war and turmoil erupting between sunnist and chiite, and their sole enemy is Israel, and that the airport will not become a base for CIA, FBI and Mossad, and the issue with the communication was not a problem if it is about 3, 4 or 5000 lines, but when it reached 99000 and 999000 then it is a threatening issue for the government and they need to maintain national security.

Now, this kinds of seems like the government is willing to give and take, they did not exactly answer Nasrallah's two demands to make things better, but I believe this is how negotiations go.

Let's cross our fingers.

14 February 2008

On this day marked as a holiday (although I personally think it shouldn't, we have much more than 1 assassinated person, should we declare all these days as holidays?), where all schools and universities, official institutions and some private sector companies are closed, people have started to gather coming from North Lebanon, Akkar, Shikka, Anfeh, Kobayet and others, hundreds of cars and dozens of buses, with Hariri and other Lebanese martyrs pictures, Lebanese Forces and Phalanges flags. This gathering is intended to go participate in the 3rd commemoration of Rafic Hariri's assassination in 14 February 2005.

More groups from Zgharta are holding Rene Mouawad pictures as well while coming to Beirut District to the participation.

Expatriates have come from abroad to participate in today's gathering (14 March), and some of them have one message, they are asking for a president for Lebanon.

At the same time, today at 2pm and in the southern suburb of Beirut, a public march will be held for the burial of Imad Moughanieh who was assassinated in an explosion near the Iranian school in Damascus Syria on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. Imad Moughanieh is a senior member in Hezbollah accused of being in charge of the 1983-94 bombings of the American Embassy only at 19 years old and the 1992 bombings of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aeris killing hundreds of people. He is on top of the wanted list in Israel, considered as a fugitive and terrorist. The US administration welcomed this assassination, saying the world is safer with one less dangerous man.
Saad Hariri, Rafic Hariri's son, said only the grief united 8 and 14 March on this sad day.

Sad day or Valentine's day? No body knows in Lebanon anymore.

Worries of clashes between the two clans, even though at separate locations, however people will be coming from all over Lebanon to both gatherings.

Stay tuned for more news and updates on today's commemoration of Hariri and Burial of Moughanieh.



Update 9:57am:
- Many convoys are stuck in the high mountains because of the snow.
- A Lebanese Forces convoy starting from Jbeil to Batroun is preparing to arrive to Martyr's square

Update 11:30am:
- A huge traffic on the roads that lead to the central Beirut district, especially those coming from North. It has been advised to park in Dora and continue walking.
- A flame has been lit in the memory of Rafic Hariri in Saint George, the area where he was assassinated 3 years ago. Bahia Hariri, the ex-prime minister's sister has been present on the uncovering of the memorial statue of Rafic al Hariri.
- Till now many speakers have addressed the large presence in the Martyr's square, paying tribute to all the assassinated in the last 3 years, be it the Politicians, Government members, Forces and Army, Journalists: Rafic Hariri, Bassel Fleihan, Samir Assir, George Hawi, Gibran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Antoine Ghanem, Walid Eido, Francois el Haj, and the latest Wissam Eid.

Lahoud Tla3 Barra Video

Photos from February 14, 2007

Click here to view album.

14 February 2007, an anniversary and more

To view more pictures of today's events please visit this album. Pictures courtesy of moi.

After yesterday's explosion at Ain Alak, our speculations were if another explosion of a different kind will blast in today's event commemorating the 2nd anniversary of Hariri's assassination. A lot of questions have been asked, and today we have the answers.



The politicians might haven't openly escalated the situation but they sure have spoken with a rough tone, especially Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Abou Taymour, the Progressive Socialt Party leader. Jumblat called Lahoud a whale that the sea has rejected, and that is probably the nicest thing he said about him, as later on he continued that Lahoud will make the history of garbage. Of course, there is always an interesting piece for Syria, its regime and its leader Bashar Al-Assad, whom got a real bashing by Jumblat. Geagea remembered all the martyrs naming them one by one, and called them the resistence of the nation.



Hariri thanked everyone for coming, thanked the martyrs, the people, the patriotic... In general, the politicians asked for the issue to be solved outside the streets, for it to be discussed in a civilized manner around the discussion table.



Hundreds of thousands of people have come from all over Lebanon, even by sea, and in a large number. Convoys made of hundreds of vehicles moved towards the capital, when the traffic starts, they park and continue by walking. Today's mass of people might not have been as large as March 14, 2005, but it certainly was the second biggest.



Lebanese Army divided the square into two between the opposition campers - who have been camping in downtown Beirut since December 1, 2006 in order to topple Siniora's government - and today's marchers who want to pay respect for Rafic Hariri and condemn the criminals who assassinated him 2 years ago, asking the international community for the truth of who those criminals might be.



The distance was wide, and not a single fight arised. The opposition security forces asked the for people to be present in the tents, in order to avoid any clash.

To view more pictures of today's events please visit this album. Pictures courtesy of moi.

Lebanon on 14 February 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007

2004 and before



2005



2006





2007

?

Amal to participate in anniversary of Hariri murder

It's nice to see some sort of nationalism in certain actions and objectivity.

اكد النائب علي حسن خليل ان “حركة “امل” ستشارك في ذكرى الرئيس رفيق الحريري عبر تنظيم مهرجان لها في الجنوب”. وقال: “ان هذه الذكرى لا تخص فئة من اللبنانيين، ومن الخطأ ان يحصر شخص الرئيس الحريري. وشدد في حديث اذاعي امس على “وجود قرار واضح للمعارضة، بتسهيل الامور الى اقصى الحدود لتمر هذه الذكرى بالطريقة المناسبة”.

Rough Translation: Parliament member Ali Hassan Khalil assured that "Amal movement will participate in the 2 year anniversary of PM Rafic Hariri's murder by organizing a festival in South Lebanon", he added: "this aniversary does not belong to one part of the Lebanese, but all, as it is wrong to limit Hariri for on section. He insisted in a speech on the radio that "there is an obvious decision for the opposition to facilitate issues in order for this memorial to pass by with the least problems".

Continue reading article here. Source: Al Balad

14 February a day off and Martyrs` square divided

14 February is an official day off (this year?), while I am happy to add one more day off from work, nevertheless I am 100% sure they will make us go to work anyway. Moreover, the real question that I asked is: "Why?" Why is it a day off? It should just be a memorial day and that's it.

"Public institutions will take a day off work on Wednesday, February 14 on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Rafiq Hariri and his companions," according to a government decree carried on Saturday by state news agency ANI.

Needless to remind here that the Opposition campers are still camping in both El Solh and Martyrs' square, and now we have a new function for the Lebanese Army, which is to play the referee, thus dividing the squares among opposition and Hariri's tribute payers on February 14. Will this day add to its description beside being Valentine's day and the day Rafic Hariri was assassinated, a day like Tuesday 23 or Thursday 25 January? Nah... no way!

The pro-government coalition has called for a huge gathering on Wednesday in central Beirut, where Hariri is buried, next to where the pro-Syrian opposition has been staging an ongoing sit-in since December 1.

Click here to read full article. Source: AFP