An Investigation Like No Other



opinion

The unexpected consequence of Sunday’s drama could be Lebanon’s first ever “transparent investigation”.

The pressure is intense and the scrutiny is painful. But that investigation had better deliver a credible outcome soon. Mr. Sleiman is pressured by both sides to find the perpetrators of Sunday’s incident because the outcome of his presidency is at stakes.

In times like these, one is tempted to be cynical. One could say for instance that Mr. Sleiman will characteristically fudge the matter and sacrifice the truth in the altar of “unity”. Some might even say that he will find scapegoats in the Army and move on.

Not so fast. This investigation is different because both sides really do care about the outcome and both sides say that they won’t settle for anything less than the truth. Both sides have their own convictions on who did it, both sides can be loud and both sides are pressing hard.

Since an inconvenient truth is bound to be found (A Hezbollah member shot first? An LF member sniped from roofs? The army was too trigger-happy?), Mr. Sleiman has to soften the investigation’s political blow as much as he can to keep everyone happy. In my opinion, that can only happen if he provides an air-tight account of what happened backed up by credible evidence that is available to the public. In other words, a transparent investigation with a credible outcome.

Of course, the investigation might end up evenly distributing the blame 10-10-10 style. In that case everyone will be happy. If that was the real truth, then be it. But if it’s just political compromise, then God help us with Mr. Sleiman’s presidency.

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Discussion

No comments for “An Investigation Like No Other”

  1. I cannot more fully agree with you. For once we have a serious investigation in this country.

    How is it that we still don’t have answers for all the killing…No reports on the on going investigations (if there are any). A top military official, a top police investigator and a US convoy were targeted in the past weeks, and STILL the investigation is not at the headlines, the place it should be.

    I truly hope that we will finally start getting some real answers…

    Posted by Ron | January 30, 2008, 12:24 pm
  2. Mus, I think you hit the nail on its head.

    Transparency is the key word. Forensic facts must be shown to the public as they will reveal the truth.

    Posted by Sami | January 30, 2008, 2:05 pm
  3. You gotta be kiddin’. Investigation? Truth? This is Lebanon. Since when does Hezbollah abide by the truth? The truth is, my friends, to bury the truth and antagonize the Army’s findings for the sake of syria and iran.
    Call me cynical, but this is a reality check.

    Posted by EV | January 30, 2008, 3:23 pm
  4. the insanity has gone on for so long that it has become the norm for all of us. the folks in the Israeli town of Sderot have been bombed by missile and rocket fire from Gaza for SEVEN years now. And like you guys in Beirut have grudgingly come to terms with it.

    Dry Bones
    Israel’s Political Comic Strip Since 1973

    Posted by yaakov kirschen | January 30, 2008, 3:36 pm
  5. Let me get this straight, Christians and Sunnis have been killed left and right for some 3 years now, and Hezballah has done everything to make sure that investigations are blocked.

    Whenever a Christian or a Sunni has been killed, Hezballah cqlled for “unity” in a veiled attempt to drown the matter, and not have a guilty party, but when it comes to Hezballah members, or other Shias, they demand a guilty party and a thorough investigation?

    And you guys are applauding like circus clowns?

    I DEMAND A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION FOR ALL THE CRIMES IN LEBANON, OR AT LEAST SINCE ELIAS’ EL MURR ATTEMPTED ASSASINATION, WHILE RESPECTING A CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, BY ORDER OF OCCURENCE.

    Posted by Leb Christian | January 30, 2008, 4:24 pm
  6. You people are on crack!

    I’ve been clamoring for accountability and transparency for a long time now. I have yet to see any. You expect me to believe this investigation will turn out any different than the one in the murder of the two Ziads? I’m not counting on it.

    On this topic, Naharnet is reporting today that the investigations’ initial findings indicate the gunfire came towards the army, from somewhere in Shiah. So, now I have to wonder, how long will it be before the same asshats demanding an investigation, start accusing the investigators of being Israeli agents and blame the government for some cover up? I can smell that setup coming from a mile away.

    And to the folks who were bemoaning the lack of sympathy for the dead, in yesterday’s comments, I say this: Where was the sympathy for the civilians who died in various car bombs? I didn’t hear Nassrallah and Amal demanding investigations back then. It seems to me like the same people who pushed the youths to burn tires, and throw rocks at the army, are the same folks who then fired at the army, hoping the army would have to fire back and hurt someone in the process. And that’s exactly what seems to have happened. And I’m supposed to feel sorry for these folks? I think not.

    Posted by Bad Vilbel | January 30, 2008, 5:24 pm
  7. Because Sleiman’s presidency is at stake is precisely the reason he can not afford the truth. As you imply, no matter what the result, someone will be unhappy.

    In every single killing over the past two years, the army and the police have destroyed vital evidence (probably quite innocently), in their attempts to clear up the site, and pretend nothing happened.

    There has never been transparency - there can’t be - and in this case, there certainly won’t be.

    Posted by Sasa | January 30, 2008, 5:33 pm
  8. Stef, Ron et al,

    I see that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus came early this year.

    PS The authori-teez also caught three guys in the Eid assassination and identified the car. Wild guess: the car was stolen and the 3 guys’ identities will be better protected than the Facebook flap clowns.

    Posted by Joseywales | January 30, 2008, 6:20 pm
  9. transparency, ha!! i think the only way we’re going to have transparency is if mustapha heads the investigation. good luck with all that.

    i love the steady flow of zionist commentators here and the loving, brotherly banter that ensues with the phoenician locals, such good friends! i can just say the normalized relations on the horizon. good luck with that one too.

    Posted by Ibn Bint Jbeil | January 30, 2008, 6:20 pm
  10. oops, a typing error:
    *SEE the normalized relations,
    not SAY!

    anyway, lots of luck.

    Posted by Ibn Bint Jbeil | January 30, 2008, 6:21 pm
  11. It’s obvious from the “initial” findings what happened here. The rioters themselves were told to go and make as much noise as possible, burn tires and when the army would show up as expected, just throw stones at them in order to get a reaction…the army tried to contain the whole thing but had to defend itself which brought upon the shooting causing casualties among the hooligans. In the midst of the chaos that followed, someone shot at the rioters in the hope of creating a major chain reaction of events culminating in more shootings and forcing the army to appear as it is acting against these thugs in the streets and taking sides in the conflict. If Suleiman is to prove himself, he needs to point the finger at the guilty party and haul their asses to jail for damaging public property and engaging in unlawful acts designed to stir trouble. As of today, Suleiman is the head of the army and must show that the army is not a punching bag to be used by anyone!

    Posted by JAT | January 30, 2008, 6:29 pm
  12. It’s nice to see that so many people are still optimistic about Lebanon :)

    This has still not been “solved”:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_847

    Even though Mohammed Ali Hammadi was convicted for it and imprisoned in Germany.

    I can’t recall a single “political” crime that’s happened in Lebanon in the last 30 years that has ever been resolved with a formal investigation. They always result in people blaming whoever they think is responsible (like, the Jews!) (it was Hezbollah!) instead of resulting in actual justice being done. Who needs justice? It’s Lebanon.

    Posted by Craig | January 30, 2008, 6:45 pm
  13. By the looks of it, JAT has it right.

    Posted by Bad Vilbel | January 30, 2008, 7:12 pm
  14. In order to have a thorough investigation which leads to real convictions (don’t forget it’s convictions that count) you need more than transparency and evidence. You need a real force to back up any actions that are based on the findings. Lebanon is missing such an uncorruptable, unified organization whose sole objective is true justice - and has the balls and backup to enforce the findings. I sure hope that something comes from the exercise but, based on history, I doubt it. I hope I’m proved wrong.

    Posted by Bronx-man | January 30, 2008, 7:38 pm
  15. Hezbollah is calling for an investigation, but on the other hand they have made it clear that their support for Suleiman is going to pend on the findings of that investigation. In other words, if Suleiman wants to have any chance at all at the chair, he better make sure that Hezbollah is not in any way implicated.

    Which quite convenient, considering that it 5 HA and Amal activists just accidentally happened to be in the line of fire between unidentified shooters and the army.

    Posted by Lemon | January 30, 2008, 11:13 pm

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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.

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