Context
A special UN tribunal on Thursday issued arrest warrants for four suspects, which included two senior Hezbullah officials, in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. The office of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon confirmed the arrest warrants had been sent to the Lebanese prosecutor general. Hariri’s son, ex-prime minister Saad Hariri, described the indictment as a “historic moment in Lebanese politics, justice and security.” However, Lebanon may find it problematic to serve the arrests since the government is dominated by Hezbullah. According to political analysts, these developments would have a destabilizing influence on the politics of Lebanon and the region.
