Opinion | Editorials
Lebanon needs to move beyond Hariri tribunal
The findings are bound to be politically divisive and will generate renewed tension
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 July 26, 2010
- Image Credit: AP
- Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri is caught in an awkward situation. On the one hand, he needs to find the truth behind his father’s murder and acknowledge the report’s findings, however politically charged they may be.
The UN-backed Tribunal for Lebanon, investigating the still-unsolved case of the February 2005 murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is due to release its first findings later this summer. This is embarrassing and five years (and still counting) is far too long for the international diplomats to come to their ponderous conclusion. Lebanon needs to move beyond this exhausting and disputed tribunal.
The outcome is certain to be politically divisive and it will bring about renewed tension many years after the politicians and their followers have moved on. The alliances formed after the shocking assassination are still the basis of modern Lebanese politics, but the parties have dealt with the realities of Lebanon for five years and have matured since the events of 2005.
The inquiry has been controversial from the start, ever since it ruled out the possibility of Israel's involvement and instead focused on internal/Arab players. In addition, the inquiry was also weakened by questionable leadership and the use of information obtained from Israeli-compromised communications.
The latest leak is that it will find some "undisciplined members" of Hezbollah to be involved, following which, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has complained that the tribunal is "biased". Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri is caught in an awkward situation. On the one hand, he needs to find the truth behind his father's murder and acknowledge the report's findings, however politically charged they may be.
On the other, Hariri's role as Prime Minister is to avoid any statement or action that could see the return of sectarianism to Lebanon. It is a welcome sign of Sa'ad's forward planning that he has already assured Nasrallah that any named Hezbollah members will be treated as rogue elements rather than members, but that may not be enough to curb a strong reaction from the group.
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