I don’t know who killed Rafiq Hariri, nor do I care. The matter does not occupy me: not for one second. I would rather find out who killed the children in Gaza in 2008 and who killed the children in South Lebanon in 2006. But the recent “leak” in Der Spiegel is part of what seems to be an orchestrated Western campaign to influence the results of the Lebanese election. To go back to the assassination matter: I still maintain that I don’t know who killed Hariri and I still maintain that those who were responsible for the assassination should be forgiven but should be told in no uncertain terms to not do it again, or else. But the Hariri tribunal and investigation has been tainted and for that nothing that comes out of the tribunal will carry national credibility or legitimacy. Go back to the first Mehlis report: are you aware that thus far the Hariri investigation team has accused 1) the Syrian government; 2) the Syrian Social National Party; 3) the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-GC—I remember that shortly after the assassination, Rafiq Hariri adviser/speech writer, Rudwan As-Sayyid, told me that the Hariri family accuses Ahmad Jibril because “he is an explosives’ expert; 4) Al-Ahbash group in Lebanon; 5) Lebanese security services or one of them; 6) the pro-Syrian Ba`th party in Lebanon; 7) and there were some leaks that even fingered Libya. So now add Hizbullah to the mix. Why not say that all those who defy the House of Saud and the House of Hariri are suspects in the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. Why not say that all those who ever mock or attacks Rafiq Hariri are suspects in his assassination? So no matter who killed Hariri, the credibility of the Hariri tribunal from the very first Mehlis report has been tainted beyond repair. It is over. So spare us time and money (the Lebanese government is spending some $30 million per year on that lousy tribunal—let the Hariri family pay for that. But going back to the election, Western governments are clearly nervous: the Biden visit (and his advice to the March 14 gang that they should target “the undecided”—why don’t liberals in the US make fun of Biden? I mean, he is as dumb as George W. Bush—to be fair), and the sudden leak to Der Spiegel. Personally, I have a bet with As`ad—not me (for $100 worth of Arabic sweats) that March 14 will win. Up until recently, I thought I may lose the bet, but the speech by Hasan Nasrallah about May 7th may have swung the undecided among the electorate toward March 14. This may have been calculated as Hizbullay may not want to govern Lebanon, especially that they can now get what they want without winning an election. Also, according to Der Spiegel that suspicion about the Hizbullah unit stems from the fact that they bought cellphones prior to Hariri assassination and then they did not use them after the assassination? OK. Present that in court as evidence.
PS Raed liked this particular line in Der Spiegel and he suspected that it may have been written by a scribe in the Hariri press office: " In 2005, the billionaire began to outstrip the revolutionary leader in terms of popularity."
