The Noose is Tightening..

Ahhh fate, what a fickle thing. When the 5 men pictured above started plotting, they never thought they would be brought to justice. 4 of them were the most powerful men in Lebanon's complicated political system. The 5th is merely an MP (that would be M. Nasser Qandil, Pro-Syrian former MP and second from the right). Not one of these men ever thought that Detlev Mehlis would ever ever dare to question them. Guess what boys. You were wrong. You are not above the law and hopefully, you will have a most public execution devoid of the diginity you so crave yet have never achieved.

Maj Gen Jamil al-Sayyad, former head of General Security (last on the right)
Maj Gen Ali Hajj, former chief of police (2nd on the left)
Brig Gen Raymond Azar, former military intelligence chief (1st on the left)
Mustafa Hamdan, Republican Guard commander (middle photo)

These four men were all questioned and then subsequently charged with murder, attempted murder and carrying out a terrorist act. They have been charged because they were involved in planning the assasination of Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri. One can only wonder how much Syria paid them off to do this deed. What threat did they hold over their heads (not that it would matter)? What sum did they sell their souls and the country they have been charged to protect out for? All four of these men were in their posts when the murder happened. They had not yet been relieved of their responsibilities. These men committed a most grievous crime against the very populace they had been charged to protect. When they planned and carried out the murder of a man who rebuilt Lebanon after the civil war, they committed not only murder, they committed treason. The punishment for treason is death. These four should face no less. The 5th, Nasser Qandil has been released to his home but his passport has been seized and a guard is posted at his door.

The murder has thrown Lebanon into turmoil. Car bombings are rife, tourism numbers are down, the economy is paralyzed. The populace is living in a climate of fear wondering who is next on the much-talked about assasination list. All of this because four men who should have been protecting our country were busy plotting it's downfall and being handsomely rewarded for it.

These charges are only the first step on a long road. These men despite their lofty positions are only peons. Until the Syrian officials who gave the order are exposed and charged, true justice will never be done but at least these arrests are a start.