...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too...., in his first major address as an opposition figure after the formation of a new cabinet, charged his rivals with pushing the country to near-collapse and cast doubt on their ability to win foreign support.
The speech by Hariri, the country’s top Sunni Moslem politician, laid bare growing political divisions that could complicate Beirut’s push to enact painful reforms and recover from the worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 war.
A cabinet formed last month by Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies, the first since Hariri resigned in October in the face of protests, must contend with a severe liquidity crunch and fast-approaching debt payments, with a $1.2 billion Eurobond due on March 9.
The government clinched a parliamentary vote of confidence on Tuesday but several major parties, such as Hariri’s Future Movement, the Christian Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
and Kataeb parties, and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party, all withheld support.
Speaking on the 15th anniversary of the liquidation of his father, ex-premier Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri lambasted his rivals, casting their obstruction of reforms as largely to blame for the depth of the current crisis.
"We organized the Cedar conference, and we got $11 billion dollars for the economy based on reforms we agreed to and promised to implement," said Hariri, referring to a 2018 Gay Paree donor conference. "But what can I do if someone does not keep to his word?"
Hariri, an ally of Western and Gulf Arab states at odds with Iran, threw his most scathing jabs at former Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
, who he called a "shadow" president who had subverted his work and helped push the country to collapse.
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Saad Hariri: 2020-01-24 Lebanon PM says new cabinet faces ‘catastrophe’
Saad Hariri: 2020-01-19 President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri ask the army and security commanders to restore calm in central Beirut
Saad Hariri: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Saad Hariri: 2020-01-24 Lebanon PM says new cabinet faces ‘catastrophe’
Saad Hariri: 2020-01-19 President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri ask the army and security commanders to restore calm in central Beirut
Saad Hariri: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
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Rafik Hariri: 2020-01-24 Lebanon PM says new cabinet faces ‘catastrophe’
Rafik Hariri: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Rafik Hariri: 2019-12-20 Hezbollah bloc nominates Hassan Diab to head next gov’t
Rafik Hariri: 2020-01-24 Lebanon PM says new cabinet faces ‘catastrophe’
Rafik Hariri: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Rafik Hariri: 2019-12-20 Hezbollah bloc nominates Hassan Diab to head next gov’t
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Gebran Bassil: 2019-12-16 Lebanese burn ruling parties’ offices after night of clashes
Gebran Bassil: 2019-11-12 Hezbollah says its 'arms won't be twisted' as crisis deepens
Gebran Bassil: 2019-11-04 Bassil joins pro-Aoun protest supporting ‘reform plan’
Gebran Bassil: 2019-12-16 Lebanese burn ruling parties’ offices after night of clashes
Gebran Bassil: 2019-11-12 Hezbollah says its 'arms won't be twisted' as crisis deepens
Gebran Bassil: 2019-11-04 Bassil joins pro-Aoun protest supporting ‘reform plan’
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Michel Aoun: 2020-01-19 President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri ask the army and security commanders to restore calm in central Beirut
Michel Aoun: 2019-12-31 Report: 'Shiite Duo' Agrees to Formation of Leb Technocrat Govt.
Michel Aoun: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Michel Aoun: 2020-01-19 President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri ask the army and security commanders to restore calm in central Beirut
Michel Aoun: 2019-12-31 Report: 'Shiite Duo' Agrees to Formation of Leb Technocrat Govt.
Michel Aoun: 2019-12-20 Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly