FitzGerald Report
Encyclopedia
The '"Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Lebanon
inquiring into the causes, circumstances and consequences of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
, 25 February - 24 March 2005,"' better known as the FitzGerald Report, is the outcome of an inquiry, ordered by the United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan
and conducted by Irish
deputy police commissioner Peter FitzGerald
, into the assassination of former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
on 14 February 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/international/middleeast/25hariri.html?pagewanted=all&position=.
on 25 February, the mission interviewed Lebanese officials and politicians, from both the government and opposition, studied the Lebanese investigation and legal proceedings, examined the crime scene and collected evidence. It also interviewed witnesses.
n government, and even Syria itself, for the murder, and those who accuse "the enemies of Syria" of carrying out the crime in order to set Syria up. The report emphasizes that it is impossible to identify the culprit until the perpetrators have been brought to justice, but blames the Syria
n government, which it charges with exerting "influence that goes beyond the reasonable exercise of cooperative or neighborly relations," with primary responsibility for the political tension that preceded the assassination, by its "(interference) with the details of governance in Lebanon in a heavy-handed and inflexible manner."
It also charges the Lebanese government with "a failure ... to provide adequate protection for its citizens," thereby contributing to "the propagation of a culture of intimidation and impunity," and accuses the Lebanese security forces with "serious and systematic negligence in carrying out the duties usually performed by a professional national security apparatus." The report accuses the Lebanese authorities of not investigating the crime seriously enough, and of failing to pursue the investigation in accordance with acceptable international standards. The acceptability of the results is further compromised, the report says, by the lack of trust of the Lebanese population. In addition, Lebanese investigators are accused of fabricating, falsifying, manipulating, and destroying evidence. Among other things, automobile parts were allegedly planted at the scene of the crime and used as "evidence."
The report goes on to judge as "more than doubtful" the ability of an international commission to carry out a satisfactory investigation while the Lebanese security forces remain under their present leadership, and calls for extensive reforms in the security services, with the assistance of the international community.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
inquiring into the causes, circumstances and consequences of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
, 25 February - 24 March 2005,"' better known as the FitzGerald Report, is the outcome of an inquiry, ordered by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
and conducted by Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
deputy police commissioner Peter FitzGerald
Peter FitzGerald
Peter FitzGerald is an Irish deputy police commissioner of the Irish Garda Inspectorate and author of the United Nations initial report known as the FitzGerald Report Peter FitzGerald is an Irish deputy police commissioner of the Irish Garda Inspectorate and author of the United Nations initial...
, into the assassination of former Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
on 14 February 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/international/middleeast/25hariri.html?pagewanted=all&position=.
Background
In the wake of Hariri's assassination on 14 February 2005, Annan dispatched a fact-finding mission to investigate the killing. Arriving in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
on 25 February, the mission interviewed Lebanese officials and politicians, from both the government and opposition, studied the Lebanese investigation and legal proceedings, examined the crime scene and collected evidence. It also interviewed witnesses.
Summary
The report comments on the political polarization in Lebanon between those who blame pro-SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n government, and even Syria itself, for the murder, and those who accuse "the enemies of Syria" of carrying out the crime in order to set Syria up. The report emphasizes that it is impossible to identify the culprit until the perpetrators have been brought to justice, but blames the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n government, which it charges with exerting "influence that goes beyond the reasonable exercise of cooperative or neighborly relations," with primary responsibility for the political tension that preceded the assassination, by its "(interference) with the details of governance in Lebanon in a heavy-handed and inflexible manner."
It also charges the Lebanese government with "a failure ... to provide adequate protection for its citizens," thereby contributing to "the propagation of a culture of intimidation and impunity," and accuses the Lebanese security forces with "serious and systematic negligence in carrying out the duties usually performed by a professional national security apparatus." The report accuses the Lebanese authorities of not investigating the crime seriously enough, and of failing to pursue the investigation in accordance with acceptable international standards. The acceptability of the results is further compromised, the report says, by the lack of trust of the Lebanese population. In addition, Lebanese investigators are accused of fabricating, falsifying, manipulating, and destroying evidence. Among other things, automobile parts were allegedly planted at the scene of the crime and used as "evidence."
The report goes on to judge as "more than doubtful" the ability of an international commission to carry out a satisfactory investigation while the Lebanese security forces remain under their present leadership, and calls for extensive reforms in the security services, with the assistance of the international community.
See also
- Rafik HaririRafik HaririRafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
- LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
- Cedar RevolutionCedar RevolutionThe Cedar Revolution or Independence Intifada was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon triggered by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.The primary goals of the original activists were the...
- Bashar al-AssadBashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
- Émile LahoudÉmile LahoudGeneral Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...
- Walid JumblattWalid JumblattWalid Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician and the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party . He is the most prominent leader of Lebanon's Druze community.-Family:...