Assassination of Rafic Hariri in the context of Rafic Hariri

⭐ Core Definition: Assassination of Rafic Hariri

On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafic Hariri was assassinated along with 21 others in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Explosives equivalent to around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove near the St. George Hotel. Among the dead were several of Hariri's bodyguards and former Minister of Economy and Trade, Bassel Fleihan.

Hariri had been part of the anti-Assad opposition in Lebanon. His assassination triggered the Cedar Revolution, a popular movement which forced Syria to withdraw all its troops in Lebanon by April 2005. The United Nations set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to investigate the killing, which along with an independent investigation carried out by Lebanese Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan, found compelling evidence that Hezbollah carried out the assassination. One of the investigators, Wissam Eid, was assassinated in 2008.

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⭐ Core Definition: Assassination of Rafic Hariri
Assassination of Rafic Hariri in the context of Syrian occupation of Lebanon
Assassination of Rafic Hariri in the context of Rafik Hariri International Airport

Assassination of Rafic Hariri in the context of Syrian occupation of Lebanon

The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted from 31 May 1976, beginning with the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War, until 30 April 2005. This period saw significant Syrian military and political influence over Lebanon, impacting its governance, economy, and society.

During the occupation, tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians were abducted and forcibly disappeared in Ba'athist Syrian prison camps. The whereabouts of an estimated 30,000 of them remain unknown. The occupation ended following intense international pressure and the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The legacy of the occupation continues to influence Lebanese-Syrian relations and Lebanon's internal political dynamics.

View the full Wikipedia page for Syrian occupation of Lebanon

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Assassination of Rafic Hariri in the context of Rafik Hariri International Airport

Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport (Arabic: مطار رفيق الحريري الدولي بيروت, French: Aéroport international de Beyrouth - Rafic Hariri, previously known as Beirut International Airport) (IATA: BEY, ICAO: OLBA) is the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon. It is located in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the city center. The airport is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA) and was the hub for the Lebanese cargo carrier TMA cargo and Wings of Lebanon before their respective collapses.

The airport was named after former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri in 2005, following his assassination earlier that year.

View the full Wikipedia page for Rafik Hariri International Airport

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