US welcomes guilty verdict from Lebanese tribunal

WASHINGTON

The US on Tuesday welcomed a UN-backed tribunal's decision to convict a Hezbollah operative in connection with a deadly 2005 bombing in Beirut, Lebanon that killed former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the decision to convict Salim Ayyash in absentia, saying the "ruling underscores the importance of rendering justice and ending impunity, which is imperative to ensuring Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty."

Hezbollah operatives “do not freelance," he said. "Ayyash’s conviction helps confirm what the world is increasingly recognizing---that Hezbollah and its members are not defenders of Lebanon as they claim to be but constitute a terrorist organization dedicated to advancing Iran’s malign sectarian agenda."

Ayyash was a member of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and according to prosecutors, he used a cellphone that was critical in the attack.

The judges said they were "satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt" that the evidence showed that Ayyash possessed "one of six mobiles used by the assassination team."

However, the tribunal said there was no evidence that “the Hezbollah leadership” or the Syrian regime were involved in the assassination.

The tribunal acquitted other defendants -- Hassan Marei, Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra -- as the evidence against them was considered "insufficient."

On Feb. 14, 2005, Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing that targeted his convoy in Beirut.

His assassination triggered countrywide protests that forced Syria -- which some had accused of orchestrating the murder -- to withdraw from Lebanon.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was established in 2007 to investigate Hariri's assassination and took 13 years to reach its conclusion.

In 2011, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for four Hezbollah members suspected of involvement in the crime: Ayyash, Assad Hassan Sabra, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Hassan Habib Merhi.

Hezbollah, for its part, has refused until now to hand over the suspects.