Details about the still-active hit squad were provided by current and former security officials from the United States and three European and Middle Eastern countries who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence about the assassination and its aftermath. Three other named suspects were found not guilty by the panel, whose members said in announcing the verdicts that they had not been able to find conclusive proof that the killing had been ordered by Hezbollah’s leaders. ADAD“There is no question” about Hezbollah’s control over the hit squad, said a former senior U.S. national security official involved in intelligence collection efforts following Hariri’s death. ADAmong the small cadre of Hezbollah leaders previously authorizing the killings was Mustafa Badreddine, a Hezbollah military commander who was indicted by the tribunal as one of the alleged planners of Hariri’s assassination, the security official said. Hezbollah specialists in the United States have long believed that the group’s leaders routinely use targeted killings to eliminate rivals and perceived foes.

Source: Washington Post August 25, 2020 17:00 UTC