How Rafic Hariri’s assassination shaped the next 20 years in Lebanon

How Rafic Hariri’s assassination shaped the next 20 years in Lebanon

On February 14, 2005, a massive explosion ripped through the heart of downtown Beirut, killing the former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others. In a targeted attack, a bomb had detonated just as his motorcade drove near the St George Hotel, along Beirut's seafront. The killing of one of Lebanon's dominant political figures sent shockwaves across the country. Tensions had been simmering with Syria as it exerted its growing influence in Lebanese affairs, maintaining a military presence and cherry-picking government candidates to serve its interests. Mr Hariri had been tasked with rebuilding Lebanon after its civil war but he had to navigate a challenging political landscape that was tainted by power struggles, foreign intervention and government corruption. He tried to push back against Syria’s presence but this made him a target and eventually led to his assassination. In the two decades following his death, the country descended into unrest and economic turmoil. But Lebanon today stands at a crossroads in the aftermath of Israel’s spillover war from Gaza, the weakening of Hezbollah and the fall of the Assad government in Syria. This episode of Beyond the Headlines, marking the 20th anniversary of Hariri’s death, looks back at the spiral of events that swept across Lebanon in its wake, how they shaped the country, and how the long-awaited new government has a fresh opportunity to bring much-needed reform.

Episoder(487)

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

It has been a month since Israel, along with the US, launched strikes on Iran, leading the Middle East into yet another conflict it tried to avoid. Iran has responded by firing waves of missiles and d...

27 Mar 23min

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

About one million people have been forcibly displaced in Lebanon and almost a thousand killed in Israel’s renewed war with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group fired missiles at Israel in early March, joi...

19 Mar 21min

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

US President Donald Trump said the American-Israeli war on Iran could end soon, without specifying an end date. But almost two weeks in, military operations only seem to be intensifying. The US claims...

13 Mar 21min

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

Conflicting reports have circulated in recent days about Iranian Kurdish groups possibly being armed by the US to launch a ground offensive in Iran. Many of these factions have long been exiled to the...

6 Mar 18min

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

Israel has begun a wave of strikes on Lebanon after warning residents in the south of the country to flee north of the Litani River on Wednesday. The forced displacement order impacts about 250,000 pe...

5 Mar 5min

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

Almost 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US in the first four days of the war. US Central Command says it has severely degraded the country's air defences and destroyed hundreds of ballistic ...

4 Mar 6min

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

As the war on Iran enters its fourth day, Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US assets in Arab countries ramp up, testing the limits of their patience. Recent remarks from US officials suggest a limited ...

3 Mar 6min

Where does an isolated Iran go from here?

Where does an isolated Iran go from here?

It has been a matter of days since the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, and already the impact has rippled across the Middle East.  Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and doz...

2 Mar 22min

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