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Podcast: Beyond the Headlines
Episode: How Rafic Hariri’s assassination shaped the next 20 years in Lebanon
Description:
On February 14, 2005, a massive explosion ripped through the heart of downtown Beirut, killing the former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others. In a targeted attack, a bomb had detonated just as his motorcade drove near the St George Hotel, along Beirut's seafront.
The killing of one of Lebanon's dominant political figures sent shockwaves across the country. Tensions had been simmering with Syria as it exerted its growing influence in Lebanese affairs, maintaining a military presence and cherry-picking government candidates to serve its interests.
Mr Hariri had been tasked with rebuilding Lebanon after its civil war but he had to na...