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On January 16, Hezbollah leader Sayyad Hassan Nasrallah said "We will not allow our reputation and our honor to be touched." A US embassy spokesman said America "does not interfere in Lebanon's internal political matters." In fact, Washington meddles globally, notably with Israel.
Cui Bono?
Not Syria forced to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, substantially reducing though not ending its influence there. Not Hezbollah either with nothing to gain but plenty to lose if, in fact, proved responsible, or unjustifiably convicted for killing Hariri.
After its May 2000 Lebanon withdrawal, two primary Israeli goals were forcing Syria out and weakening or destroying Hezbollah. After Hariri's assassination, Middle East expert Sam Hamod said:
'We must do as they do in other criminal cases, look at who had the most to gain from (Hariri's killing). The Lebanese (including Hezbollah) had a lot to lose, as did the Syrians. No matter where else you look, no one else had anything to gain except Israel and the US. America quickly pointed the finger at Syria, as did Israel, which was tantamount to convicting themselves because they are the only two countries that would gain by creating unrest in Lebanon."
UK journalist Patrick Seale, writing in the London Guardian, agreed, saying:
"If Syria killed (Hariri), it must be judged an act of political suicide. (Assassinating him would) destroy its reputation and hand its enemies a weapon with which to deliver the blow that could finally destabilize the Damascus regime....The murder is more likely to be the work of one of its many enemies."
The same reasoning applies to Hezbollah, a close Syrian and Iranian ally. After Damascus was absolved, Hezbollah remained a convenient target, no matter the lack of evidence or motive for acting self-destructively. Israel and Washington want its political influence weakened and military effectiveness destroyed. In 2006, IDF forces tried and failed.
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