LEBANON: Three former chiefs of Lebanese security services and the head of the Lebanese presidential guard were detained yesterday as suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and 20 others on February 14th. All four are known for their close ties to Syria.
The arrests of Jamil Said, Raymond Azar, Ali Haj and Mustafa Hamdan were requested by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, who was chosen by the UN secretary general to lead the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into Mr Hariri's murder.
"I feel relieved that things are happening," Saad Hariri, the son and political heir of Rafik Hariri, told The Irish Times. "I feel that justice will be done. I have full confidence in Mr Mehlis. This is only the beginning."
After his father's death, Saad Hariri entered Lebanese politics. He was elected to parliament in May, and leads the Future Movement, now the biggest group in the assembly.
Until they resigned under the pressure of huge street demonstrations in Beirut following Rafik Hariri's killing, Maj Gen Said was head of general security in Lebanon, Brig Gen Azar was director of military intelligence and Maj Gen Ali Haj was the director of the internal security forces.
Gen Said filed a lawsuit against a Kuwaiti newspaper that accused him of responsibility for Mr Hariri's murder, then quietly dropped it.
Gen Haj was until 2001 responsible for Rafik Hariri's security. Mr Hariri, who was prime minister for 10 of the past 12 years, believed that Gen Haj was spying on him on behalf of Syrian intelligence and had him transferred to another post. A preliminary report to the UN by Deputy Garda Commissioner Peter FitzGerald in late March confirmed that men under Gen Haj's orders removed or destroyed evidence from the scene of the assassination, and also planted false evidence there.
The three former intelligence chiefs were arrested in dawn raids on their homes. Brig Gen Hamdan, the commander of the presidential guard, was summoned to the presidential palace at Baabda, and turned himself in to UNIIIC headquarters.
Gen Hamdan has been described as "Lahoud's shadow" after president Emile Lahoud, who was handpicked by Damascus. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year insisted on renewing Mr Lahoud's mandate, sparking the political showdown that eventually led to Mr Hariri's assassination.
Several witnesses told Mr FitzGerald that Mr Assad threatened Mr Hariri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt with physical harm if they opposed Mr Lahoud's "re-election".
A warrant has been issued for a fifth suspect, former member of parliament Nasser Qandil, but his wife told reporters he was in Damascus.
Under Lebanese law the suspects can be held for several days without charge.
"Definitely they will be charged," Saad Hariri said. "But I don't know what kind of trial we will have - an international tribunal or court, or something like Lockerbie."
Samir Kassir, a newspaper editorial writer and forceful opponent of Damascus, was assassinated in June, followed by Georges Hawi, a communist who had turned against Syria.
Saad Hariri confirmed the existence of a "hit list" discovered by Mr Mehlis in the course of 250 interviews and communicated to the new government of prime minister Fuad Siniora. Mr Siniora was a close associate of Rafik Hariri.
"We have received several threats," Saad Hariri said. His presence in Paris was accidental, following trips to London and Saudi Arabia. "I would love to be in Lebanon today to celebrate."
However, other prominent Lebanese politicians came to Paris for self-preservation. Walid Jumblatt, Marwan Hamadé and Gibran Tuéni are a few of the anti-Syrian politicians who flew to France when they were tipped off about the imminent arrests.
Flights to Paris were full on the eve of the arrests, and the streets of Beirut were empty yesterday because of feared retaliation by the allies of the detained men.
An interim report by the UNIIIC to the Security Council on August 25th noted that "the commission also sent a request to the Syrian Arab Republic on 19 July asking for the interviews of five witnesses and for the provision of documents . . . No reply has been received . . . The lack of timely response by the Syrian Arab Republic has considerably slowed down the Commission's work."
Mr Mehlis is due to issue his final report on September 15th.