Hariri Assassinated: Beirut Shaken by Massive Blast
A massive truck bomb detonated beneath Rafik Hariri's motorcade near Beirut's St. George Hotel on February 14, 2005, killing the former Lebanese prime minister and twenty-one bystanders. The blast left a crater thirty feet deep. Hariri had been a billionaire businessman who rebuilt Beirut's destroyed city center after the civil war and was widely expected to challenge Syrian influence in upcoming elections. A UN investigation implicated senior members of Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services in the assassination. The killing triggered the Cedar Revolution, massive protests that forced Syria to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon after twenty-nine years of military occupation. Hezbollah organized counter-demonstrations supporting Syria, revealing the deep sectarian divisions that continue to define Lebanese politics. Four members of Hezbollah were later indicted by a UN tribunal; the organization denied involvement and never surrendered the suspects.
February 14, 2005
21 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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