Rafic Hariri Assassination: The UN Investigation and Findings

The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri triggered a massive international effort to uncover the truth behind the attack. To ensure an impartial inquiry, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1595 on April 7, 2005, establishing an investigative team to determine the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The initial phase of the probe was led by German judge Detlev Mehlis. His findings, detailed in the Mehlis report presented on October 20, 2005, pointed toward a complex conspiracy involving high-ranking officials from both Syria and Lebanon.

Key Facts

• UN Mandate: Established via Resolution 1595 to investigate the assassination of Rafic Hariri.
• Primary Investigators: Led initially by Detlev Mehlis and later by Serge Brammertz.
• Key Allegations: The investigation implicated members of the Syrian government and Lebanese security officials.
• The "Hariri Network": A criminal network was identified as having acted in concert to carry out the assassination.
• Legal Outcome: Four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals were detained for four years but later released by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) due to lack of evidence.

The Mehlis Report and Syrian Involvement

The Mehlis report focused heavily on several key figures, including Maher al-Assad (brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad), Assef Shawkat (a powerful government figure and brother-in-law to the Assads), Hassan Khalil, Bahjat Suleiman (a top Syrian security official), and Jamil Al Sayyed (then head of Lebanon's General Security Department).

The report included harrowing eyewitness accounts of an August 2004 meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and Rafic Hariri. According to Hariri, Assad threatened him directly, stating that any vote against the mandate extension of President Lahoud would be viewed as an act against Syria. Hariri reported that Assad threatened to "blow him up" and his family members anywhere in the world.

International and Local Reactions

Following these revelations, U.S. President George W. Bush called for an urgent UN meeting to coordinate an international response. Simultaneously, Lebanese politicians pushed to expand the investigation's scope to include other anti-Syrian figures killed by car bombs, such as journalist Samir Kassir in June 2005 and Gebran Tueni in December 2005.

Evolution of the Investigation

A second report submitted on December 10, 2005, reaffirmed the initial conclusions. In January 2006, Belgian jurist Serge Brammertz took over the leadership of the inquiry. While the Lebanese government cooperated, they emphasized that the investigation should respect Lebanese sovereignty and work alongside local agencies rather than supersede them.

The investigation faced various twists, including the death of Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan. After being interviewed as a witness by Mehlis' team in September 2005, Kanaan was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in October. While the Syrian government labeled it a suicide, others suggested it was a murder intended to hide links to the regime.

The "Hariri Network" and Forensic Evidence

By December 2006, Serge Brammertz reported that DNA evidence suggested the attack was likely carried out by a young male suicide bomber. By March 2008, the UN's International Independent Investigation Commission identified a criminal entity known as the "Hariri Network," which acted in concert to execute the assassination and was potentially linked to other political killings.

Legal Proceedings and Detentions

In August 2005, Lebanese authorities arrested four pro-Syrian generals: Mustafa Hamdan, Jamil Al Sayyed, Ali Al Hajj, and Raymond Azar. They were held without charge for four years. However, when the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) took over the case in 2009, a pre-trial judge ordered their release due to a lack of corroborative evidence and inconsistencies in witness statements.

Name	Role/Affiliation	Connection to Case
Detlev Mehlis	German Judge	Initial lead investigator for the UN.
Serge Brammertz	Belgian Jurist	Successor to Mehlis as lead investigator.
Maher al-Assad	Syrian Official	Implicated in the Mehlis report.
Jamil Al Sayyed	Lebanese General Security	Implicated in report; detained then released by STL.
Abdul Halim Khaddam	Former Syrian VP	Publicly implicated Bashar al-Assad in the plot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who led the UN investigation into Rafic Hariri's death?

The investigation was initially led by German judge Detlev Mehlis and was later headed by Belgian jurist Serge Brammertz.

What was the "Hariri Network"?

The "Hariri Network" was a criminal network identified by the UN's International Independent Investigation Commission as having acted in concert to carry out the assassination.

Were any Lebanese officials convicted in the initial UN probe?

Four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals were detained for four years, but they were eventually released by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in 2009 due to a lack of evidence.

What evidence suggested the method of the assassination?

A progress report by Serge Brammertz in 2006 indicated that DNA evidence pointed toward the use of a young male suicide bomber.

Did the investigation include other victims?

Yes, Lebanese politicians requested that the investigation include the assassinations of other anti-Syrian figures, such as Samir Kassir and Gebran Tueni.