Rafiq Hariri and the Fate of Lebanon

On Valentine’s Day 2005 Lebanon’s former prime minister and self-made billionaire Rafiq Hariri was assassinated by a massive bomb that destroyed his motorcade in Beirut. The Lebanese people protested throughout the country in response. The United Nations Security Council declared the assassination an international terrorist act with severe regional and international ramifications, and formed an International Independent Investigation Commission to uncover the perpetrators. From his humble beginnings as a fruit picker, Hariri achieved his fame and fortune as a building magnate in Saudi Arabia. As Prime Minister of Lebanon for ten years, 1992-8 and 2000-4, Hariri has been widely credited for the rebirth of Lebanon after the civil war, overseeing...