At 35 and presiding over a multibillion dollar business empire, Saadeddine Hariri was a stranger to Lebanon's intricate and sometimes violent politics. But the massive bombing that killed his father and shook a nation to its core three months ago also thrust him to the political forefront.For Saad, as he's better known here, it has been a crash course in politics since the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — and the political novice is already on a roll, benefiting from the wide international contacts and local political and charity works of his late father as he takes a leading role ahead of parliamentary elections which begin May 29.
There is even talk about Saad becoming the next prime minister, though he has not said whether he would seek the job. Saad, who holds a Georgetown University degree in international business, stepped into his father's limelight after the assassination. "My father served Lebanon all his life, and we will keep serving Lebanon also, like him," he told reporters the day after the blast, speaking on behalf of his family as he stood near the explosion site.
| "I'm ready to take over the family business. Fredo isn't up to it, since they got Pop and Sonny..." |