The Findings of the Hariri Tribunal

The author analyzes the final judgment of the UN tribunal convened to inquire into the assas-sination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Only one of the four men originally charged was found guilty, wholly on the basis of alleged cell-phone communications. Although Israel was known to have comprehensively penetrated the Lebanese telecommunications sector, the tribunal made no attempt to prove conclusively that the cell-phone calls allegedly made by the accused were actually made by them and not fabricated by a third party. This significant omis-sion undermines the authenticity of the evidence. The tribunal also failed to consider the possible involvement of two governments that have a long history of subversion and violence in Lebanon, the United States and Israel, both totally hostile to Hezbollah and the Syrian government. All of these elements combined raise serious questions about the course of the tribunal’s findings from the beginning.