Rafik Hariri Assassination: 2005 Beirut Bombing Footage

FireFlyGuts · #1 ● 03-03-2009, 12:19 AM

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Here are the pictures and video that were taken during the assassination of Rafik Hariri by a suicide bomber as he drove near the St. George Hotel in Beirut. The images and video show his death and the aftermath.

Rafik Bahaa El Deen Al-Hariri, was a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, was Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.

On 14 February 2005 Hariri was killed, along with 21 others, when explosives equivalent of around 1,000 kg of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove near the St. George Hotel in Beirut. Among the dead were several of Hariri's bodyguards and his friend and former Minister of the Economy Bassel Fleihan. Rafiq Hariri was buried along with his bodyguards, who died in the bombing, in a location near Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque.

The latest progress report by Brammertz has indicated that DNA evidence collected from the crime scene suggests that the assassination might be the act of a young male suicide bomber.

Rafik Hariri served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon for several terms, and he was widely credited with rebuilding Beirut after the Lebanese civil war. A self-made billionaire and a prominent Sunni Muslim leader, Hariri was an influential figure in Lebanese and Middle Eastern politics.

The assassination was carried out through a massive bombing. A van loaded with around 1,800 kilograms of explosives was detonated as Hariri's motorcade passed by the St. George Hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The explosion created a substantial crater and caused significant destruction in the area.

Rafik Hariri was killed instantly in the blast. The explosion also claimed the lives of 21 other people and injured over 220, making it one of the deadliest attacks in Lebanon since the end of the civil war.

The investigation into the assassination was complex and politically charged. An initial probe by Lebanese authorities was followed by an international investigation led by the United Nations. The UN investigation pointed to the possible involvement of Syrian government officials and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. However, both Syria and Hezbollah have consistently denied any involvement in the assassination.

The assassination of Rafik Hariri had profound political ramifications. It led to widespread demonstrations, known as the Cedar Revolution, which ultimately forced Syria to end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon. The incident significantly increased tensions in Lebanese politics, particularly between factions supportive of and opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon.