Suspects Arrested in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri

[Mado]

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Three former top Lebanese security officials and the head of the presidential guard are suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafi Hariri, the current prime minister has said.

The three former security officials were arrested in early morning raids Tuesday, and the presidential guard commander surrendered to authorities, Lebanese security sources said.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora confirmed to reporters that the four were suspects in the U.N. investigation into Hariri's February assassination, news agencies reported.

Arrested, the sources said, were:


Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayed, the former head of internal security and one of the most powerful pro-Syrian officials in Lebanon


Brig. Gen. Ali Haj, the top police chief appointed by the pro-Syrian government that ruled Lebanon until May elections ushered in a new era of opposition, anti-Syrian control


Raymond Azar, the former head of Lebanon's powerful military intelligence service

Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, the head of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud's presidential guard, surrendered to authorities several hours ago, the sources said.

He appeared before the U.N. investigation in response to a summons, the Justice Ministry said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

A fifth person, former pro-Syrian member of parliament Nasser Qandil, has been ordered to return to Lebanon from Syria, where he traveled shortly before the dawn raids, sources said.

According to the Justice Ministry statement, the U.N. investigation had been granted permission to use the police to "carry out raids, searches and escorting of persons for questioning."

Chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis met with the prime minister and justice minister earlier Tuesday, AP reported.

The detentions were the first major police action since Hariri and 20 others were killed in a massive bomb in Beirut on February 14, AP said.

The three former security officials have been questioned previously by Mehlis, the German prosecutor who is leading the U.N. Security Council-mandated investigation into the assassination, AP said.

The arrests of many of these former officials has been a top demand of the Lebanese opposition, which swept to power in the recent parliamentary elections after decades of heavy-handed influence by Syria.

Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon shortly before the elections in the face of international pressure and a popular uprising known as the Cedar Revolution.

Under a protocol signed between the Lebanese government and the United Nations, authorities can hold the officials for up to 48 hours.

However, security sources said formal legal proceedings by Lebanese authorities were under way, meaning suspects could be held longer.

The United States recently condemned Syria after a U.N. Security Council meeting for failing to cooperate with the U.N. probe into Hariri's death.

[Foxy]

yomhel wala yohmel

balash 7ar2 el 2a3sab

[Diyalla]

Eh wennnnn baddon yeherbou
wRostem Ghazalee waynouu??? wala shuu nafad bi rishu el Shabb !!!
Allah la ywaf2on....
But we have hope.God will not leave any...

[Mado]

Ya rab !
In God We Trust !! i dont know if jail, or death is enough... they caused alot of pain .... Allah Yer7amo lal Shiekh !!

[Diyalla]

They killed our dream :(
Allah yer7amak our leader,sheikh Rafee2 el Hariri...

[Mado]

Originally Posted by Diyalla

They killed our dream :(
Allah yer7amak our leader,sheikh Rafee2 el Hariri...

Allah Yer7amo ... The Only Thing He Wouldnt Us To Do Is Let His Dream Die .. We Should Proceed And Keeping His Dream Alive !

[Diyalla]

Guess we are on the right track,Mado....
Everything is gonna be clear pretty soon...They killed our leader,but we're still here 2 continue with Shiekh Saad and others in the DREAM...
Remember,WE ARE LEBANESE

[Mado]

Originally Posted by Diyalla

Guess we are on the right track,Mado....
Everything is gonna be clear pretty soon...They killed our leader,but we're still here 2 continue with Shiekh Saad and others in the DREAM...
Remember,WE ARE LEBANESE

Thats so true !! nice speech Diyalla !! i just hope that everyone thinks like you... and thinks only of lebanon, not anything else... like i wonder how the people who killed Harriri ... where LEBANESE even if whoever 2alon to do it ... how could they do it ? :S

[Diyalla]

It's all about benefits....
Greed...selfishness...hatred...
They wished of makin a new war in Lebanon....too bad,we disappointed them...
We proved that WE Can Be One HAND away from "who are you" and "what's your religion"
We're gonna win n the End
God Bless Our LEBANON....

[Mado]

Originally Posted by Diyalla

It's all about benefits....
Greed...selfishness...hatred...
They wished of makin a new war in Lebanon....too bad,we disappointed them...
We proved that WE Can Be One HAND away from "who are you" and "what's your religion"
We're gonna win n the End
God Bless Our LEBANON....

Diyalla 3anjad .. iza kil 2il lebnanyeh thinks just like that for once ... ken ma sar hek bi lebneen .. yalla basita, we are here to change

[Mado]

Dear Lord,
May Thy Name be glorified and Thy Will achieved.

Grant me the courage, the strength, and the knowledge to testify for the truth and walk on Thy path and deserve Thee.

Stay in my heart, forgive my weaknesses, protect me from temptation, and if anger haunts me, overwhelm me with Thy love, so that hatred does not fill my heart.

Remind me Dear Lord of those who became martyrs after Thee and before me And Make their pure blood a light to guide me, or if I ever forget, a fire to burn me.

Keep me strong so that I love and commit myself to Thy love till martyrdom, and increase my confidence and faith so that I uphold the Cause and free Lebanon.

Amen!

[Thugilex]

kill the americanssssssssssssssss

[Diyalla]

la2 wlooo mahdoomeeen

[EmotiveCobra]

libnen reje3 ahsan mnil awal ya shabeb
khallou imenkon bil watan kbirrr
liben reje3

[GeE ArE]

kell she 3am beseir howwi la tedleel el ta72ee2..
henni kano ra7 youtla3 mbere7, bass kermeil el ra2ye el 3am ma talla3ohon.. 7atta el 3alam ma t2oul inno akhadohon for few hours wo talla3ohon..
el jeye 3azam !!

[wkd]

We lost a battle.. but we didnot loose the war...
hopefully his blood will not go for waste.. and we all should be "ONE" to make the truth come.... and hopefully soon it will...

[Thugilex]

allaho fawka 2al mo3tadi !

[humel]

you guys are funny

[Thugilex]

jayeh el 2eyem w 7a tenkashaf il 7a2i2a !