A few months before the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a secret meeting was convened in a Damascus residence, bringing together high-ranking Syrian intelligence officers and senior figures from within the Assad regime. Their agenda was clear: to eliminate Hariri’s political influence. Exclusive information obtained by Annahar reveals critical details about the meeting’s location and the three key points that led to one of Lebanon’s most consequential assassinations.

Between Sovereignty and Stability

Throughout his political career, Rafik Hariri sought to balance Lebanon’s sovereignty with the need to avoid direct confrontation with Syria, whose influence loomed large over Lebanese affairs. Navigating shifting regional dynamics, he focused on economic reconstruction while forging critical international relationships. Domestically, he worked with both allies and opponents, some of whom supported his vision for Lebanon’s progress while others viewed his ambitions as a threat.

Yet Hariri’s growing regional and international influence posed a direct challenge to those seeking to maintain control over Lebanon. His economic and political power made him an obstacle that some were determined to remove in order to secure their grip on the country.

Roots of the Conflict

By the mid-1990s, following the death of Bassel al-Assad, the eldest son of then-Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Syrian leadership began preparing Bashar al-Assad as his successor. However, not all factions within the Syrian establishment welcomed this transition. Opposition came from within Syria’s powerful bureaucracy, which wielded influence over both domestic and Lebanese affairs. Determined to consolidate his power, Bashar al-Assad sought to weaken this opposition, using anti-corruption campaigns and administrative reforms as cover for sidelining dissenters.

Hariri had cultivated strong relationships with key figures within this bureaucratic elite. As Bashar al-Assad consolidated power, many of these figures turned to Hariri for political and moral support after being gradually pushed out. His deep regional and international networks strengthened his position, allowing him to build alliances with Lebanese opposition leaders, including the late Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. Over time, Hariri realized that true Lebanese independence was impossible under Syrian dominance and began working both locally and internationally to achieve that goal. But his efforts would be cut short before he could witness their outcome.

Syria’s Mounting Anger

Tensions between Hariri and the Syrian regime escalated sharply in the final years of Lebanese President Émile Lahoud’s term. Hariri had several confrontational meetings with Bashar al-Assad, including one in late 2003 in Damascus. Attended by top Syrian intelligence officers—including Generals Ghazi Kanaan, Rustum Ghazaleh, and Mohammad Khallouf—the meeting was deliberately designed to intimidate Hariri. Assad and his officers made it clear that Lahoud’s presidency would be extended—“whether anyone liked it or not.”

On August 26, 2004, in another meeting that lasted no more than ten minutes, Assad reiterated the same message with unprecedented hostility. Hariri left with no illusions about Syria’s determination to maintain its control over Lebanon at any cost.

The Secret Meeting and the Decision to Eliminate Hariri

According to exclusive information obtained by Annahar, a house in Damascus’s al-Shaalan district, near the Franciscan School, hosted a high-level meeting a few months before Hariri’s assassination. The meeting was chaired by Mohammad Said Bkheitan, a senior Baath Party official who had held multiple intelligence roles. Also present were several Syrian intelligence officers and regime insiders.

The meeting’s agenda centered on a detailed report prepared by Assad’s inner circle. Discussions focused on three main points:

1. UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
2. The need to sever Hariri’s ties with the Syrian bureaucratic elite, many of whom had been sidelined by Assad’s consolidation of power.
3. Hariri’s growing political influence and relationship with Saudi Arabia, which had bolstered his regional standing.

A decision was made to prevent Hariri—by any means necessary—from running in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections alongside the opposition. Intelligence reports indicated that Hariri and his allies were poised to secure a parliamentary majority, potentially forming a government that could oversee Syria’s withdrawal and push for the implementation of Resolution 1559.

The final recommendation of the meeting was documented in a 16-page report, which was delivered to Assef Shawkat before reaching Bashar al-Assad. What followed was the devastating February 14, 2005, assassination—a political earthquake that triggered massive protests and ultimately led to Syria’s forced withdrawal from Lebanon.

The historic million-strong demonstration that followed marked the beginning of the end for Assad’s dominance over Lebanon, setting the stage for broader regional consequences that continue to reverberate to this day.