STEPHANIE SY: Two weeks after a giant explosion tore through Beirut, today, a verdict in a
trial over another deadly blast 15 years ago.
A special international tribunal found a Hezbollah agent guilty of assassinating the former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, this at a tense at a tense time for the U.S.-designated terror
group, as political and financial pressure grows.
Special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports from Beirut.
JANE FERGUSON: The suicide truck bomb that killed Lebanon's Rafik Hariri on Valentine's
Day, 2005, was sent there by Salim Ayyash, a member of Lebanon's dominant political and
military force, Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
MAN: The trial chamber therefore finds Salim Jamil Ayyash guilty as a co-perpetuator of
count one.
JANE FERGUSON: The other three accused were found not guilty. All were tried in absentia,
with Hezbollah's leadership refusing to hand over the men, who haven't been seen publicly
for years.
A fifth conspirator, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed in Syria four years ago, where he was
commanding Hezbollah forces. The former prime minister's son, Saad Hariri, who also recently
held the office, was in court for the verdict.
Afterwards, he spoke to the press, saying: "The one who must sacrifice today is Hezbollah.
It has become clear that the killers were from their ranks. They think that for this
reason, they will not be brought to justice and punished. I repeat, we will not rest until
they are punished."
The court, however, said it couldn't connect the killer to Hezbollah's leadership, citing
insufficient evidence.
Just days before the verdict, Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, dismissed the tribunal
in a speech, saying; "We're not concerned with the special tribunal of Lebanon's rulings.
We cling to the innocence of our brothers, should unjust verdicts be issued against them."
The killing of Rafik Hariri, a Sunni Muslim leader who was close to the U.S. and Gulf
Arab states, upended the delicate sectarian balance in Lebanon among Sunni, Shia, Christians,
and Druze. Hariri had been pushing for the Syrian regime, then occupying the country,
to stop interfering in Lebanese politics, and for Hezbollah and other militias to be
disarmed.
Hezbollah is a Shia force formed and funded by Iran. The U.S. has designated it a terrorist
organization. The verdict doesn't directly implicate Hezbollah, but the court of public
opinion here in Lebanon finds it implausible that the group did not order the bombing.
And the results of the inquiry come at time when Hezbollah is under increasing pressure.
The massive explosion that ripped through Beirut earlier this month, destroying a huge
part of the city and killing some 200 people, led to widespread anger directed at the country's
political elites, blamed for the mismanagement and decay that led to so much explosive material
being left idle.
Effigies of political leaders, including Nasrallah, were hung from a central square in Beirut,
something Lebanon has never seen before. Hezbollah has grown in power and political influence
in Lebanon in recent years. For them, it's a self-preservation tactic.
NICHOLAS BLANFORD, Atlantic Council: The bottom-line rationale for Hezbollah is to maintain what
they call the resistance priority. This is maintaining its armed wing, its weapons and
so on, and independence to utilize that weaponry.
JANE FERGUSON: Nicholas Blanford is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and author
of two books on Hezbollah. He says the group's political power is based on having the right
allies in Lebanese politics.
NICHOLAS BLANFORD: Because it makes it easier to shut down any calls for talking about a
national defense strategy, in which perhaps Hezbollah would be blended with the Lebanese
army, or it would become a security force along the Southern border with Israel, but
under state control. These are anathema to Hezbollah.
JANE FERGUSON: Those allies helping Hezbollah maintain power include the Christian President
Michel Aoun.
In the Trump administration's latest attempts to check the group's power, cutting it off
from those allies has become a new tactic. Threats to sanction Hezbollah-friendly politicians
are growing louder.
NICHOLAS BLANFORD: It would certainly muddle the situation, because you have several powerful
politicians, non-Shia, who are closely allied with Hezbollah, who, if sanctions were applied,
they would have to weigh up on the one side the benefits of their alliance with Hezbollah
and, on the other side, their bank accounts.
JANE FERGUSON: Within its own Shia Muslim base, Hezbollah still has strong support,
but corruption and an economic crisis have squeezed that loyalty.
In the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh in Southern Beirut, people are careful to separate
their support for the group's resistance against Israel from grumblings about corruption.
Support for Hezbollah remains strong?
HASSAN, Beirut Resident: In a defending way, and with its protecting our freedom and our
land from Israel, yes, of course. But in the political side, there is something that Hezbollah
has gotten wrong, by its allies, of course, first of all, of its allies. They are very
corrupt, you know?
JANE FERGUSON: When popular protests broke out last year, they called for entrenched
political elites to step down, all of them, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Even some areas of traditional Hezbollah support in the south of the country saw calls for
change. The economy was collapsing after decades of corruption and mismanagement by politicians.
Hezbollah too has had to cut back on its vast patronage support and services to its fighters
and followers, causing some anger.
But, as tension grows in Lebanon, sectarianism loyalties do too sometimes, as people look
to the only leaders they have for protection.
MOHAMMED, Beirut Resident: Sure, Hezbollah has its people's support. The people would
not abandon the resistance. We are with the resistance until death. Even if we are dying
of hunger, we are with the resistance until the last breath.
JANE FERGUSON: Hezbollah continues to face military pressure from Israel. Both sides
are trying to measure their retaliations against the danger of a devastating war.
As pressure on Hezbollah mounts on several fronts, both domestically and internationally,
the possibility of another explosion of violence increases.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jane Ferguson in Beirut, Lebanon.