Bangkok--Oct 26--eTurboNews
The final United Nations report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was released Tuesday, October 25. Syria said the report is false and contended it is politically motivated. The US, on the other hand, said it wants the UN to move quickly on the Security Council Resolution demanding Syria to cooperate in the probe. America has not ruled out sanctions against Syria. In this regard, the UN team, led by top investigator Detlev Mehlis, met October 25 on the issue. The UN continues its investigation until December.
Hariri was killed on February 14, 2005 in a massive bombing that bore a crater about 15-meters in diameter along the hotel strip on the Beirut Corniche. Some 20 others were killed, including nine bodyguards, aides and security and a few innocent bystanders. About 100 people were injured in the blast, which was caused by a 500-kilogram explosive believed to have been planted by Syrians or pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon.
"It has been observed bombings here take place between noon and 1 pm,"
intimated tour guide and driver Mahmoud M. "There is this all-out fear more chaos will dawn upon the country after the UN-report is filed." Sadly, Mahmoud died in a road accident few hours after we spoke last month.
Mahmoud's account was accurate. Indeed, Rafik Hariri was assassinated at 1 pm. His death spurned a wave of anti-Syrian demonstrations sloganed 'Kefaya' (enough in Arabic) until the 15000-strong Syrian army marched out in early May.
Hariri's successor, then Prime Minister Omar Karami (who is a pro-Syrian official), was asked to step down after the Martyr's Square rally that gathered two million Lebanese protesters.
President General Emile Lahoud, currently serving a third term and is known to be pro-Syrian, remains in power despite calls for his resignation.
So, once again, Lebanon is abuzz. Syria is making headlines as well. Many Arab countries have remained silent in the days after the UN report was released implicating top members of Syrian President Bashar al Assad's inner circle in this high-profile case.
eTurbo News spoke to a few managers and owners whose hotels were impacted in the Hariri blast. They echo the same sentiment-- the assassination still haunts Lebanon like a nightmare. They are also desperate to move on.
Along Kennedy Street, a block from where Hariri was murdered, stands Monroe Hotel. This property suffered a major blow, losing almost all glass windows, rooms and public areas upon impact. General Manager Hala Achkar said the blast affected about 10 percent of their business from the beginning of the month of September. Immediately after the blast, however, was a different case. "We did not expect the incident on Sunday, September 18, when LBC anchorwoman May Chidiac was seriously injured by a bomb planted in her car by pro-Syrians," she said.
According to the hotel manager, cancellations are immediate every time the media talks about political and journalist assassinations and religiously motivated bombings in the country. "Of a group of 50, 7 people would cancel. It is an impact but not significant to a degree," Achkar noted, adding, "The international media has its ways of sensationalizing news to our detriment."
Achkar also compared attacks to other countries. "London has had its share but the media stopped after a week. It was a big blast. But here in Lebanon, we had only one person in February. These are terrorism acts; but still it is safe for tourists to come here as these are targeted attacks."
"With the situation that is going on, we are working on special deals with the Europeans. If we only target the Arab market, city occupancy and rates can go down to 30 percent, for instance in 2004," Achkar added.
On Minet el Hosni is where the Intercontinental Phoenicia is located. It is a few feet away from Hariri's deathbed and is where the main Corniche street splits. Group area director of Sales and Marketing Lauren Gabard confirmed the hotel has been running over 90 percent in recent months. The hotel sustained some damage with windows, ceilings and walls blown out from the spa to street-facing restaurants and rooms on the residential wing across the blast. "Fortunately, no one died. We had only one injured, a staff working at the spa. It was a miracle."
Hotel St. Georges took most, if not all, of the brunt of the blast. This resort on Ain Mreisseh happens to be the exact spot Hariri wanted to own as part of his empire Solidere, the multi-million dollar public-private company he founded in 1994. However, St. Georges chairman and CEO Fady El Khoury fought to the finish his rightful ownership. In the saga, Hariri died in front of his property. Ironically, St. Georges went down with the premier. While Fady, caught in two successive blasts that fateful day, survived.
Trapped under the rubble, Fady was certain he was going to die. According to him, he passed out and awakened unscathed. "Solidere is trying to get more every day. After the death of Hariri, which unfortunately caused the lives of his people and mine, I am now concerned of my people who died," he said. "There are also a few who broke down like this girl who lost an eye; she's lucky to be alive but psychologically is devastated."
El Khoury added: "In this context, I have stopped talking about this fight and this agreement which has been ongoing for 10 years now. It is not so appropriate now. I think people should have some respect for the dead and for the ugly things like trivial fights happening between our neighbors.
"Solidere for me is an aggressor. You may think of it as a touristic giant, but is not really as it is a property-grabber on the outside. Solidere has taken away from a lot of people. And this is enough."
He said Solidere could no longer take anything from him as it is. He adds the group has taken the water rights of St. Georges-- the rights given to them by the government. He holds the government responsible for eliminating one of Lebanon's tourist emblem and landmark.
According to el Khoury, St. Georges was totally destroyed from the south fagade to the annex, the inside of the hotel was blown in, and slabs on the lobby crushed to pieces. "We need to build from the inside outwards."
St. George' east fagade, which he has been repairing from his little financing, including the structures that were solid had they been left as the 1929 French structures. Fady said the whole hotel would have collapsed to the ground in the explosion. "That bomb, with the impact of the vibrations, could have reduced this all to rubble."
He also said they intend to light the rubble of the skeleton hotel from the inside, so that at night it will create an easier-to-look-at scene. "We hope it will give a positive impression to what they call a government which I do not believe in at all. It is a pity for this beautiful country."
When asked why he just does not let go and cooperate with the forces , el Khoury said: "I have nothing to cooperate with. All I need to do is build my hotel. There is no cooperation on my part unless there is a polite, neighborly, proper way to do it. I am not a cooperator, only a builder and investor!"
According to him, he is not fighting. "I am just defending my rights, as I am totally disgusted." The St. Georges owner is looking forward to a license to continue building, to start with, the short pink stone walkway they stopped him from laying inside his resort.
According to the World Tourism Organization, Lebanon has reached a count of 1.3 million visitors in 2004, reflecting a 26 percent rise over 2003's 1.278 million. As of June 2005, the WTO Tourism Barometer assessed Lebanon figures grew high above the regional rate of 20.5 percent growth.
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