December 2, 2008
Lebanon funeral turns into anti-Syria rally
Supporters of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri grieve as his coffin passes by during a funeral procession in Beirut, Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to pay their respects to the former leader, who was assassinated in a bomb attack. (AP Photo / February 16, 2005)
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese turned out Wednesday to bury their assassinated former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in an outpouring of grief that turned into a rally against the Syrian and Lebanese governments.
It was one of the largest gatherings in Lebanon's history, and it highlighted the depth of anger and political divisions in a country that was devastated by a 15-year civil war. The public outcry displayed at Hariri's funeral is likely to intensify international pressure on Syria to end its political and military dominance over Lebanon.
Mourners carried banners saying, "Syria Out!" and "Hey Syria; Who's Next," a reference to the widely held belief that Damascus was behind Hariri's killing. As the funeral procession wound its way through Beirut's shuttered streets, young men shouted insults at Syrian President Bashar Assad, calling on him to "remove your dogs from Lebanon."
Syria, which has kept thousands of troops here since the war broke out in 1975, has denied any involvement in the massive bombing that killed Hariri on Monday. Even if Syria was not behind Hariri's death, it is likely to pay the political cost as pressure mounts on it to withdraw from its smaller neighbor.
"Mr. Hariri's death should give -- in fact it must give -- renewed impetus to achieving a free, independent and sovereign Lebanon," said Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who represented the United States at the funeral. "And what that means is the complete and immediate withdrawal by Syria of all of its forces in Lebanon."
Even as it acknowledged that there is no proof linking Syria to Hariri's killing, the Bush administration recalled its ambassador to Damascus Tuesday. U.S. diplomats also pressed the United Nations Security Council to urge Syria to abide by a UN resolution calling on it to pull out of Lebanon.
For now, Syrian leaders and the Syrian-backed Lebanese government insist that Damascus will keep its 15,000 troops and vast intelligence apparatus here. But some Lebanese say the Syrians are making a mistake by not taking the Bush administration seriously.
"There are Syrian officials who don't believe that the U.S. is serious about a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon," said Michael Young, a Lebanese analyst and newspaper columnist. "They think it's just a U.S. tactic to pressure them on Iraq."
U.S. officials have used the Syrian presence in Lebanon as a way to pressure Damascus to end its support of Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups. Washington also has demanded that Syria tighten its border with Iraq, to prevent militants from infiltrating to fight U.S. forces.
But the U.S.-Syrian standoff has changed with the killing of Hariri, a billionaire businessman who led Lebanon for 10 years and oversaw the rebuilding of Beirut. The fractured Lebanese opposition has been united by the assassination, and public sentiment has turned against Syria.
"Our government receives its instructions from outside. We are not independent," said Ahmed Suleiman, 42, a carpenter who stood among the throngs waiting for Hariri's coffin to pass by. "We have known this for many years, but now we can finally say it out loud."
As Hariri's cortege neared the imposing Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut, church bells began ringing loudly. The bells mixed with the chants of mourners, the solemn drumbeat of a military band and Quranic prayers warbling from the mosque's minarets.
More than 200,000 people crowded into the square around the mosque, which is still under construction by a Hariri-owned company. After midday prayers, Hariri was buried in the mosque's courtyard.
In a sign of his popularity, the funeral attracted Sunni Muslims, Christians and members of the Druze sect. Hariri was a Sunni, but he reached across Lebanon's sectarian divisions by touting a nationalist message and setting up charities that provided aid to all sects. Only Shia Muslims, who are mostly allied with Syria, did not participate heavily in the funeral.
Hariri's family warned his longtime rival, Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, not to attend. Most of Lebanon's other Syrian-backed leaders also stayed away. Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam, a close friend of Hariri's, attended the burial but did not march in the procession.
Hariri was going to lead an opposition slate in parliamentary elections planned for the spring. With his wealth and popularity, he was a formidable opponent to Syrian-backed candidates.
"There is no way anyone could replace him," said Maha Hammoud, 36, a bank teller who waited for two hours to see Hariri's casket. "The Lebanese will never forget him, or those who killed him."
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