Rafic Hariri

Rafic Bahaa El Deen al-Hariri (; 1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005), also known as Rafiq al-Hariri, was a Lebanese businessman and politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until he resigned on , before his assassination in 2005.

Hariri headed five cabinets during his tenure. He was widely credited for his role in constructing the Taif Agreement that ended the 15-year Lebanese Civil War. He also played a huge role in reconstructing the Lebanese capital, Beirut. He was the first post-civil war prime minister and the most influential and wealthiest Lebanese politician until his assassination. During Hariri's first term as prime minister, tensions between Israel and Lebanon increased, as a result of Qana massacre. In 2000, when he became prime minister for second time, the biggest achievement during his time as prime minister was the Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon, ending an 18-year old occupation. Meanwhile relations with Syrian President Bashar increased.

Hariri was assassinated on 14 February 2005 by a suicide truck bomb in Beirut. Four Hezbollah members were indicted for the assassination and are being tried ''in absentia'' by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, but others have linked the assassination to the Syrian government. The outcome of a 15-year investigation led to the guilty verdict of multiple people in Hezbollah's party taking part; however, the only one left alive would be Salim Ayyash, a well-connected, mid-level operative in Hezbollah. The assassination was a catalyst for dramatic political change in Lebanon. The massive protests of the Cedar Revolution helped achieve the withdrawal of Syrian troops and security forces from Lebanon and a change in government.

At one point, Hariri was one of the world's 100 wealthiest men and the fourth-richest politician. Provided by Wikipedia