STL: No Evidence of Hezbollah, Syria Involvement in Hariri's Murder

The United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) said on Tuesday that there is no evidence that the leadership of the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, or the Syrian government, were involved in the 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

"Syria and Hezbollah may have had motives to eliminate al-Hariri and his political allies, however, there is no evidence that the Hezbollah leadership had any involvement in al-Hariri's murder and there is no direct evidence of Syrian involvement," Judge David Re said, reading a summary of the court's 2600 page decision.

Four members of  Hezbollah are accused of conspiracy to carry out the massive bomb attack that killed Hariri and 21 other people.

Al-Hariri, a Sunni Muslim billionaire, had close ties with the United States, Western and Sunni Gulf Arab allies, and was seen as a threat to Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon.

Lebanon's long-awaited verdict comes days after the Lebanese capital was rocked by a massive explosion, which left at least 177 people dead.

Initially scheduled for August 7, the Dutch-based international court postponed its own verdict over Hariri's assassination "out of respect for the countless victims."

Several family members attended the Netherlands-based STL, including Rafik al-Hariri's son Saad.

The assassination plunged Lebanon into what was then its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, leading to the withdrawal of Syrian forces and setting the stage for years of confrontation between rival political forces.

The Iran-backed Shia Muslim group Hezbollah has denied any involvement in Feb. 14, 2005 bombing.