Key Events in Lebanon since Hariri’s Assassination
A U.N.-backed court probing the 2005 murder of Lebanon's ex-premier Rafik Hariri on Thursday submitted a sealed indictment and arrest warrants to the country's prosecutor general, Lebanese officials said.
Here are some key events in since Hariri's assassination:
2005
- Feb 14: Hariri is killed in a Beirut bombing along with 22 others. Pro-Western leaders blame Syria but Damascus repeatedly denies any role in the killing. Assassinations targeting anti-Syrian figures follow over the next three years.
- April 26: International pressure and massive popular protests drive Syrian troops out of Lebanon after a 29-year deployment.
- July 19: First government including Hezbollah is formed.
- Oct 20: An initial U.N. probe implicates Syrian agents in Hariri's murder.
2006
- July 12-Aug 14: A Hizbullah-Israel war kills nearly 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
- Nov 11: Shiite ministers resign from government as Hizbullah and its allies demand greater political representation.
2007
- June 10: The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is created.
- Nov 23: Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud's term ends. Rival alliances are unable to agree on a successor.
2008
- May 7: Sectarian clashes leave 100 people dead as Hizbullah-led militants seize large swathes of Sunni areas in Beirut.
- May 21: Rival leaders agree to a new power-sharing government formula. Army chief Michel Suleiman is selected as next president.
- July 11: A government in which Hizbullah and its allies have veto power is formed.
- Oct 15: Syria and Lebanon establish diplomatic ties.
2009
- June 7: An anti-Syrian alliance wins legislative elections.
- June 27: Saad Hariri, son of Rafik, is appointed prime minister.
- Nov 9: Hariri forms a unity government which includes Hizbullah.
2010
- July 22: Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah says STL will indict Hizbullah members in connection with the Hariri murder.
2011
- Jan 12: Hizbullah forces the collapse of unity government when 11 ministers resign, representing the Shiite party, its allies and one loyal to the president.
- Jan 24-25: Hizbullah and its allies name Najib Miqati as their pick for premier as hundreds of Sunnis protest.
- Feb 14: Saad Hariri announces he will lead Lebanon's new opposition against a government his camp says will be under Hizbullah command.
- May 6: The prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon files an amended indictment based on further evidence in the probe into the Hariri killing.
- June 13: Miqati insists there will be no radical shift in policy as he announces the formation of a new government in which Hizbullah and its allies hold the majority.
- June 29: A committee of the new government agrees after seven meetings on a posture toward the U.N.-backed tribunal.
- June 30: Lebanese officials say the STL has submitted a sealed indictment and arrest warrants to the country's prosecutor general.
Source: Agence France Presse
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