by John Nahas
Valentine's Day marked the five year anniversary of Lebanon Prime Minister
Rafiq Hariri's assassination. (Creative Commons licensed)
Five years ago, on February 14, 2005, a car bomb ripped through downtown Beirut killing Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. His assassination, believed to be carried out by Syria, sparked a vast outcry and brought about the "Cedar Revolution" that ended Syria's occupation of Lebanon. With the Cedar Revolution came a hope for a flourishing future for the troubled nation.
For once in Lebanon, and the Middle East in general, there was hope that justice would prevail and those involved in the assassination would be held accountable. The U.N. Special Tribunal for Lebanon was formed at the request of the Lebanese government and was supported by a U.N. Security Council resolution.
According to the U.N., "the mandate of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is to prosecute persons responsible for the attack of 14 February 2005 resulting in the death of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and in the death or injury of other persons." While the Tribunal's scope and ultimate goal was a daunting task, many hoped it would live up to its promise. It has not.
Lebanon has long been known for the devastating civil war that the country endured for fifteen years, and is especially notorious for is its political assassinations. The Tribunal sought to put an end to this practice by enforcing justice and holding the perpetrators accountable. It has not.
Since the assassination of Hariri, numerous activists and civic leaders, such as Members of Parliament Pierre Gemayel and Gebran Tuieni of the pro-west March 14 alliance, have met a similar fate. Shootings and car bombs continue to terrorize political leaders of Lebanon. The reform efforts began to fracture as the nation fell back into political chaos.
Through it all, the Tribunal has continued. However, as the anniversary of the assassination has passed by year after year, the Tribunal's potential has continued to deteriorate and its goal to bring justice to those who murdered Hariri looks further out of sight.
Though it was established to find and bring to justice those who committed the assassination, the Tribunal's symbolic goal was, and continues to be, much more. The goal was to enforce the rule of law and bring justice to Lebanon and the Middle East; to show that assassinations and the old ways of terror and intimidation cannot succeed and will be punished. It has not.
Again we see the inability of the U.N. to rise above the regional politics and apply itself to a greater cause. Instead of standing by the Tribunal and its success no matter the cost, the U.N. has stood on the sidelines and watched the Tribunal be used as a political bargaining chip to exert or relieve pressure on regional actors when the time is expedient.
For the U.N, as well the United States and Europe, the Tribunal must succeed; it is essential to their reputations and integrity as actors on the global stage and in the Middle East. The world and especially Lebanon must see that when a commitment is made, it will be followed through. Not only for the sake of Hariri, but for those who were murdered before him and continue to be murdered after him in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Respect for the rule of law and justice is the biggest prize the international community can help bestow on Lebanon, the Middle East, its people, and its leaders. When perpetrators are held accountable, it sends a clear message and empowers the effective leadership to emerge.
Unfortunately, in the case of Lebanon, disregard for the Tribunal and its mission have sent the wrong message and empowered the same disastrous tactics that continue to plague the peace and future prosperity of Lebanon and the region. For both Lebanon and the Middle East to move forward, the Tribunal must succeed. It has to.
John Nahas is a student in the Masters of Public Diplomacy program. He is the President of the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS), as well as a Senior Editor for Public Diplomacy Magazine. He recently concluded an internship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East Center in Beirut, Lebanon.
http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/02/no-love-for-the-un-special-tri.html
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