Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated on Monday that late Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hassan was assassinated because those plotting against him feared him and could not stop his work.
He vowed on the fifth anniversary of his assassination that the murderers “will pay dearly” for their crime.
He made his declaration during a ceremony in downtown Beirut to mark the occasion and which saw the naming of a street in the area in Hassan’s name.
Hariri said that he will take it upon himself, the state, ISF and all security forces to make sure that Hassan’s assassins are brought to justice.
Addressing those who are doubtful that justice will take its course, he stressed: “Justice is coming … Hassan’s blood runs in this institution and this country and we must find his killers and bring them to trial.”
In addition, he said that the ISF is an institution that should always be supported because it works directly for the citizens.
He also highlighted the role of the Intelligence Bureau, saying that it has made achievements in combating espionage and terrorism.
Hassan was killed in a car bombing that targeted his convoy as it was passing Beirut’s Ashrafieh district on October 19, 2012. His driver Ahmed Sahyoun and a number of civilians were also killed in the blast.
In an another ceremony marking his death, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq assured that the ISF was doing well despite “the doubters”.
“It is doing well because its members and family belong to this state and they do not waver in performing their duties regardless of the circumstances,” he continued.
