[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 7 (Monday, February 19, 2007)]
[Page 164]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Second Anniversary of the Death of Prime Minister Rafiq 
Hariri of Lebanon

February 14, 2007

    On the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime 
Minister Rafiq Hariri, the United States reaffirms its support for a 
free and democratic Lebanon that is able to chart its own course. The 
United States joins the Lebanese people in demanding the truth behind 
Prime Minister Hariri's murder and calling for the establishment of a 
special tribunal for Lebanon to bring to justice those who murdered 
Rafiq Hariri and others who stood for Lebanese sovereignty and 
independence.

    Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of yesterday's bus 
bombings outside Beirut. The evil perpetrators of these attacks will not 
silence the Lebanese people's demands for justice and democracy in an 
independent Lebanon.

    The Lebanese people's greatest tribute to Rafiq Hariri, Minister 
Basil Fuleihan, and others who gave their lives for a free Lebanon would 
be to come together across sectarian divides to build the free, stable, 
and prosperous Lebanon that Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri dedicated his 
life to create.