Prime Minister Rafic Hariri’s Beirut Decision Bloc in Parliament and deputies representing the Wave of the Future welcomed a report by the United Nations fact-finding mission into martyred former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri’s murder, and urged the international community to quickly form an international committee to investigate the February 14 bombing that killed Mr. Hariri and his companions.
After the extraordinary meeting in Kroreitem, which was also attended by former ministers Bahij Tabbara, Fouad Siniora, and Samir Jissr, deputies discussed the UN report, which reaffirmed calls by the legislators and the late leader’s family to launch an international probe into the murder and to dismiss security chiefs. The statement said the UN report repeated what the Lebanese were already aware of regarding the failure of the Lebanese security apparatus and the Syrian military intelligence, who were primarily responsible for not providing the required security, according to Lebanese laws and for flaws in implementing obligations. Deputies said the report pointed out that the shortcomings provided the appropriate atmosphere for the crime, and highlighted manipulation of the bombing site.
Officials made clear that the UN report indisputably offered details of the political incitement and the campaign that was launched by the authorities, even at the helm, providing a backdrop for the assassination, tantamount to a political responsibility which cannot be ignored. They said security chiefs and the prosecutor general cannot pursue their jobs after the report pointed to their failure and cited them as a stumble block to finding the truth and reforming the country’s security system.
They appealed to the Security Council to speed up the formation of an international committee to investigate the murder, in line with the report’s recommendation, to find the truth and refer to trial all those who incited, participated, and played a role in the crime. Addressing the late leader and his companions, and Deputy Basil Fuleihan who was gravely injured in the explosion, deputies pledged to press ahead with their efforts to find the perpetrators of the attack and praised the support that they have been receiving from Lebanon and abroad.