The Hariri Investigation and the Politics of Perception

Gary Gambill writing in the Mideast Monitor, here

"...Producing conclusive evidence of Syrian involvement in the assassination of Hariri would have irreparably weakened Syrian influence in Lebanon, strongly discouraged European and Arab governments from engaging Damascus so long as Assad refused to hand over the suspects (which no one expected), and - most importantly, perhaps - obviated the possibility of a new American administration changing course in relations with Syria anytime soon. The IIIC's early missteps and succession of steadily less accusatory findings have done the opposite on all three counts..."