Lebanon's pro-Syrian president vowed today to hunt down the killers of former premier Rafik Hariri amid wide speculation over the involvement of this country's Damascus-backed government in the assassination.
President Emile Lahoud's commitment came during a condolence visit to his slain rival's home and amid Lebanese government efforts to keep control of the murder investigation, despite calls by Hariri's family and the United States and France for a foreign-led inquiry.
No credible claims of responsibility have emerged since Monday's bombing, which killed Hariri and 16 others. Lebanese have little confidence in an investigation led by their own government in light of its history of being unable to track down those responsible for past political assassinations.
Thousands of Lebanese have signed a 30-yard-long banner with the word "Resign" written in French and Arabic, which has been unfurled at Hariri's grave outside the towering downtown Beirut mosque he built. The popular calls for Prime Minister Omar Karami's government to resign are the first since 1992, when riots forced Karami, who led the government then, to step down.
They also increase pressure on the government, which many accuse of involvement in Hariri's killing, and its main power-broker Syria, which also has been linked to the attack and is facing renewed U.S. and French calls to withdraw its 15,000 soldiers from Lebanon — a source of resentment for many Lebanese.
Both Syrian and Lebanese governments have denied involvement and have instead condemned the killing of Hariri, a popular, self-made billionaire who many here credit with rebuilding the country following the devastating 1975-90 civil war.
"The president of the republic stressed to the family of the martyr (Hariri) that the investigation is ongoing to uncover the circumstances of the ugly crime," according to a statement released by Lahoud's office following the meeting with Hariri's two eldest sons, Bahaa and Saadeddine.
The statement added that all clues are being followed that "might lead to identifying those quarters that planned and executed the crime against the martyr of Lebanon and his companions."