SHOTLIST

31 May 2007

1. Various of street traffic in Beirut

2. Various of people offering sweets and flowers to passers by - a traditional celebration custom in Lebanon

3. Newspaper stand

4. Newspapers

5. Newspaper headline reading: (English) "UN approves Hariri court"

6. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) No Name Given, Beirut Resident, Vox pop:

"We hope the international tribunal will be fair and seeking justice without a political agenda. And to put a stop to political assassinations."

7. People reading newspapers

8. Exterior of prime minister's office building

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ahmad Fatfat, Lebanese Youth and Sports Minister:

"We hope that this tribunal will put a final point for all political assassination in Lebanon but it needs the help and the support and the collaboration of the Syrian regime. We hope that they will do and if they will do it will be a new stage to a good relation, to restore the relation, between Lebanon and Syria. And also for Lebanese, for opposition in Lebanon, we say it will never be a political tool. It is really for all the Lebanese a victory and it will be to help Lebanon to consolidate its democracy and freedom."

10. Various of construction on road where Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated

11. Lebanese army forces providing security at site which has been closed since assassination

30 May 2007

12. Fireworks

13. People dancing in the streets

14. Car loaded with people chanting and waving flags

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic), Saad Hariri, Son of the assassinated Prime minister Rafik Hariri:

"We are not demanding justice for the sake of revenge. We are demanding justice for the sake of accountability and for the sake of truth, which should be kept as a sacred trust in the conscience of all Lebanese. We should all participate in securing the International Tribunal to protect Lebanon."

16. Saad Hariri arriving at his father's grave

17. Mid shot of Saad Hariri praying at his father's grave

18. Wide of grave

STORYLINE

There was cautious optimism in Beirut on Thursday as supporters of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri welcomed the United Nations Security Council vote to unilaterally establish an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the slain leader's assassination.

"We hope the international tribunal will be fair and seeking justice without a political agenda. And to put a stop to political assassinations," said one Beirut resident.

Ahmad Fatfat, Lebanese Youth and Sports Minister welcomed the decision saying that he hoped the that the tribunal will put an end to all political assassination in Lebanon.

"But it needs the help and the support and the collaboration of the Syrian regime." he said, adding that if Syria chooses to cooperate with the tribunal "it will be a new stage to a good relation, to restore the relation, between Lebanon and Syria."

The slain leader's supporters danced in the streets on Wednesday following the announcement of the Un decision and his son, Saad Hariri, said the resolution was a turning point in Lebanon that would protect the country from further assassinations.

"We are not demanding justice for the sake of revenge. We are demanding justice for the sake of accountability and for the sake of truth, which should be kept as a sacred trust in the conscience of all Lebanese. We should all participate in securing the International Tribunal to protect Lebanon," Hariri said.

The vote on the resolution was 10-0 with five abstentions - Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia and Qatar.

That was one more than the nine votes needed for passage.

The five countries that abstained objected to establishing the tribunal without approval of Lebanon's parliament and to putting the resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter which deals with threats to international peace and allows militarily enforcement.

But none opposed the tribunal itself.

A UN investigation has implicated Syria in Hariri's assassination in 2005 when the Syrian army controlled Lebanon.

Syria has denied involvement.

The issue of an international tribunal has since fuelled a deep political conflict between Saniora's Western-backed government and the Syrian-backed, Hezbollah-led opposition.

The conflict has taken on an increasingly sectarian tone and erupted into street battles, killing 11 people in recent months.

Hariri's assassination sparked huge protests against Syria, which was widely seen as culpable. Syria denied involvement but was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending a 29-year presence.

The initial UN investigator said the complexity of Hariri's assassination suggested the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services played a role, but the probe is continuing.

Four Lebanese generals, top pro-Syrian security chiefs, have been under arrest for 20 months, accused of involvement in Hariri's murder.

SHOTLIST

Beirut - 28 February 2009

1. Wide pan of Beirut cityscape

2. Ein El Mraiseh street, site of explosion that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri

3. Mid of Rafik Hariri statue

4. Mid of damage to building

5. Memorial flame where Hariri was assassinated

6. Set up of Member of Parliament Aatef Majdalani in his office

7. Close of photograph featuring Majdalani and Hariri

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Aatef Majdalani, Lebanese legislator from the Future Movement bloc:

" The start of the international tribunal is the beginning of the saving of Lebanon and the start of the international tribunal is the beginning of the end of the political assassination."

9. Cutaway Hariri pin on Majdalani's lapel

10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Aatef Majdalani, Lebanese legislator from the Future Movement bloc:

" When the slain Prime Minister President Rafik Hariri was assassinated, the Syrian regime was in Lebanon and Lebanon was under the Syrian hegemony. The entire security was under their hands and that is why the international investigation committee pointed its accusation against the regime. I think that the tribunal should be able to try any suspect or criminal."

11. Tilt down exterior of Al-Amin mosque in central Beirut

12. Sign indicating "1475" days since Hariri's assassination

13. Various of Hariri's grave

14. Wide of Lebanese justice minister, Ibrahim Najjar, in his office

15. Cutaway close-up of Lebanese flag

16. SOUNDBITE (English): Ibrahim Najjar, Lebanese Justice Minister:

" The tribunal will be really independent and I think that, at least as far as Lebanese politicians are concerned, we have no intention whatsoever to interfere with the tribunal and its independence. This is really the way we see the tribunal functioning - with independence and capacity and only in order to find out the truth and to give their verdict."

17. Cutaway camera lens

18. SOUNDBITE (English): Ibrahim Najjar, Lebanese Justice Minister:

" Lebanon has really shocked with too many assassinations. I would say since more than 30 even 40 years. And it is about time now to terminate all that processes. We have to know who did what and this will be very benefit for us."

FILE: Beirut - 14 March 2005

19. Pan across protest crowd, protesters holding Lebanese flags

20. Mid of posters featuring Lebanese security chiefs being held up

Beirut - 28 February 2009

21. Set up of Samar Al-Hajj, wife of detained Brigadier General Ali Hajj

22. Portrait of Brigadier General Ali Hajj

23. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Samar Al-Hajj, Wife of detained Brigadier General Ali Hajj:

" We have been detained illegally for three and a half years. There is no existence for any law that can justify the detention of freedom. The detention is justified by a non-existent authority, in an illegal prison which does not exist on the prisons' map in Lebanon and does not relate to the chief of police as other prisons. If we want to speak legally we should not go to The Hague, otherwise they can take them (the four pro-Syria generals) in an arbitrary way, exceeding all the protocols and keep them there until the end of the parliamentarian elections."

FILE: Beirut - 15 February 2005

24. Various of aftermath of explosion which killed Hariri, firefighters tackling blazing vehicle wreckage

STORYLINE

Investigators have pored over evidence for four years - a human tooth found at the bombing site, a suicide truck that was stolen in Japan and made its way to Lebanon, reams of phone records and hundreds of interviews.

Now the focus in one of the Mideast's most dramatic political assassinations is shifting to prosecution, with the convening on Sunday of an international tribunal on the slaying of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Despite the start of proceedings in the Netherlands, it is still not known who will be accused in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people on a seaside street in Beirut on February 14, 2005.

Also unknown is the most politically explosive question - whether the proceedings will implicate Syria's government, which many Lebanese believe was behind the murder of a man who led opposition to the long Syrian military occupation of Lebanon.

Syria has denied any involvement.

The tribunal was welcomed on Saturday by Lebanese lawmaker Aatef Majdalani, of the Future Movement bloc, who said it would be the saving of Lebanon.

Majdalani said that Syria would be in the spotlight as Lebanon was under the Syrian regime at the time of the assassination.

The United Nations Security Council had to impose the mixed Lebanese-international Special Tribunal after Lebanon's parliament was too divided to approve it.

But Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar insisted that the tribunal would be truly independent.

Most likely the first defendants before the court will be four pro-Syria generals who led Lebanon's police, intelligence service and an elite army unit at the time of the assassination.

They are the only people in custody, though they have not been formally charged.

The wife of one of the four officers detained, Brigadier General Ali Hajj, on Saturday called their detention "illegal".

Some in Lebanon doubt the court will ever bring out the full truth, believing it might avoid digging deep to ensure Syria does not react by stirring up trouble in Lebanon and other parts of the region.

Trials could also further polarise Lebanon's politics, feeding the power struggle between pro- and anti-Syria factions.

Administrators have said the tribunal will take up to five years to finish its work, and the top UN prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare of Canada, said in a statement on Saturday that it will be thorough.

As prime minister, Hariri, a billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war, and with trying to limit Syria's influence.

In a country known for political assassinations, his killing stands out for its far-reaching impact and set off huge anti-Syrian street protests in Lebanon and intense international pressure which forced Damascus to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon a few months later, ending nearly three decades of military domination.

But his death also threw Lebanon into turmoil.

Anti-Syria factions supported by the West won control of the government but were unable to exert any authority while locked in a struggle with Syria's allies, led by the Hezbollah movement.

The first UN investigator into the killing, Detlev Mehlis of Germany, said the assassination plot's complexity suggested a role by the Syrian intelligence services and its pro-Syria Lebanese counterpart.

But the two chief investigators who followed Mehlis have worked quietly and have not named any individuals or countries as suspects.

Last April (2008), Bellemare said investigators had evidence Hariri's killing was done by a "criminal network" also linked to a series of bombings and shootings that have killed seven anti-Syria figures and caused other deaths since Hariri's assassination.

The UN team worked under tight security for fear of attacks or intimidation, living in fortified compounds in Beirut and travelling in heavily protected motorcades.

The team also kept tight control of information about the investigation.

One piece of evidence is the tooth of the suicide bomber.

Forensic examinations determined the truck's driver was a man in his 20s who was not from Lebanon, according to Bellemare's predecessor as top investigator, Serge Brammertz of Belgium.

Investigators interviewed hundreds of people, including the presidents of Lebanon and Syria.

They acquired records listing more than 5 billion telephone calls and mobile phone text messages.

They determined the truck used in the bombing was stolen in Kanagawa, Japan, in October 2004 and purchased two months later near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The probe has also seen numerous twists.

Husam Husam, a Syrian barber and self-proclaimed intelligence operative, at first implicated Syrian officials in testimony to investigators.

Then he left Lebanon for Syria and appeared on TV, recanting and saying the Hariri family paid him to frame Syria.

Lebanon's government dismissed the claim.

Another purported Syrian intelligence officer, Mohammed Zuhair Siddiq, was at first said to be a key witness, then a suspect - then he vanished while under house arrest in France.

A Lebanese man who was questioned about the sale of cell phone chips allegedly used for communicating in the bombing was found dead in what was ruled a car accident.

Syria's interior minister, Brigadier General Ghazi Kenaan, died in his Damascus office in late 2005 about a month after speaking with investigators.

Syrian officials said he shot himself to death, but some in Lebanon believe he was killed.

Kenaan ran Lebanon for two decades until 2003.

SHOTLIST:

Beirut

1. Various of city

2. Lebanese army military vehicle in Beirut street

3. Lebanese army soldier

4. Newspaper stand

5. Man reading newspaper

6. Close-up newspaper headline: "Government approve international tribunal''

7. Various of newspaper stand

8. People walking in street

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Voxpop (no name given):

"No, I am not for an international tribunal because it is coming from an unconstitutional government that is not representing all sects. If it was representing all Lebanese than maybe I will agree to tribunal.''

10. Women sitting on seaside

11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Voxpop (no name given):

"I am for an international tribunal to find out who assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri and all who have been assassinated and for justice to arrive.''

12. Lebanese Health Minister Mohamed Gawad Khalifa (just resigned) coming down stairs

13. SOUNDBITE (English): Mohamed Gawad Khalifa, recently resigned Lebanese Health Minister:

"It went like a provocative issue, provocative thing and specially at a time when the President and the speaker - two main pillars in the country - again in addition to the Prime Minister, definitely without doubt saying that what is coming from this government is unconstitutional.''

14. Exterior of church in Beirut

15. Various of service in Beirut church

Bekfaya

16. Various of people paying condolences to the Gemayal family

STORYLINE:

Lebanon's US-backed government Saturday approved an international tribunal for suspects in the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, despite warnings of mass protests by its opponent Hezbollah.

Last-ditch attempts to reach a compromise between the government and the pro-Syrian camp, led by Hezbollah, failed as the Cabinet moved forward with its meeting on the UN-created court.

US-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora had offered to put off the contentious Cabinet vote for several days if six pro-Hezbollah ministers who quit the government earlier this month returned.

Hezbollah demands that the government be changed to give it and its allies more power, or else it will launch mass protests to topple Saniora.

People on the streets of Beirut were divided in their opinion following the announcement.

One person said "No, I am not for an international tribunal because it is coming from an unconstitutional government that is not representing all sects. If it was representing all Lebanese than maybe I will agree to tribunal.''

Another's view was that "I am for an international tribunal to find out who assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri and all who have been assassinated and for justice to arrive.''

Hezbollah and Lebanon's pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud, denounced the Cabinet's approval of the tribunal.

Lahoud called the approval "null and void," according to a statement from his office.

But former Lebanese Health Minister Mohamed Gawad Khalifa - who has only recently resigned from his post - said he thought the issue was a controversial one.

People continued to pay their condolences to the family of slain Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel in the town of Bekfaya.

Gemayel's assassination on Tuesday was the most recent in a string of attacks that have killed five other prominent anti-Syrian figures.

SHOTLIST:

01 March 2009

1. Wide of Beirut city skyline

2. Mid of Lebanese army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) on road

3. Close of APC

4. Wide of traffic on city street

5. Mid of Lebanese army APC under bridge

6. Wide of Al-Amin mosque

7. Close of mosque

8. Wide of people standing around murdered former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's grave inside the Al-Amin mosque

9. Mid of people reciting versus of the Quran at Hariri's grave

10. Mid of Hariri's grave with pictures of Hariri in background

11. Close of Hariri's picture

01 March 2009

12. Wide of people gathering around Hariri's grave

13. Pull out to wide of Lebanese politicians laying a wreath on Hariri's grave

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marwan Hamadeh, Lebanese legislator from the Democratic Gathering bloc:

"It is the beginning of truth, the beginning of justice and I think that it is a page that is being opened in the history of Lebanon, the page of Justice, the end of impunity and it is a lesson for many regimes around us in the Middle East."

15. Mid of May Chidiac, a Lebanese journalist and survivor of a targeted car bomb attack, laying flowers at grave

16. Photo of Hariri

17. SOUNDBITE (English) May Chidiac, Lebanese journalist and survivor of a targeted car bomb attack:

"We have suffered too much from killing and killing attempts and the explosions that were put here and there for many decades so now we hope this chapter will be over and will be closed."

18. People leaving the Hariri memorial ceremony

FILE: 26 October 2000

19. Convoy of Hariri arriving at presidential palace after being elected Prime Minister

20. Hariri getting out of car and walking into presidential palace

21. Various of meeting between Hariri and then Lebanese President Emile Lahoud

22. Hariri talking mobile phone

STORYLINE:

An international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was starting work on Sunday at its headquarters in a village outside The Hague.

Despite the start of proceedings, it is still not known who will be accused in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people on a seaside street in Beirut on 14 February 2005.

Lebanese army forces in armoured personnel carriers were deployed on the streets of Beirut on Sunday to maintain calm.

Hundreds of Hariri supporters gathered peacefully around his grave in downtown Beirut, to mark the beginning of the International Tribunal with many expressing their support.

Marwan Hamadeh, a Lebanese legislator who was targeted by a car bomb in Beirut in 2004, said the tribunal turned a page in Lebanon's history.

Hamadeh said the tribunal "is the beginning of truth, the beginning of justice" and he hoped it would be a "lesson for many regimes around us in the Middle East".

Also paying her respects at the graveside on Sunday was May Chidiac, a Lebanese journalist who also survived a car bomb attack.

Chidiac said she hoped the tribunal would spell the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people.

Four pro-Syrian generals are being held in Lebanese custody although none of them have been formally charged with Hariri's murder.

The generals led Lebanon's police, intelligence service and an elite army unit at the time of the assassination.

Court prosecutor Daniel Bellemare of Canada said he expects to request within weeks for Lebanon to transfer to the court the four generals.

As prime minister, Hariri, a billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war, and with trying to limit Syria's influence.

Many in Lebanon believe Syria was behind the assassination.

Syria has denied any involvement.

After the assassination, mass street protests in Lebanon and international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its troops from its neighbour after a 29-year presence.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon to investigate Hariri's killing was set up by the UN Security Council in 2007 and comprises both foreign and Lebanese judges.

It is based in the Netherlands to ensure the safety of staff and an impartial trial.

The judges have not yet been sworn in and the names of Lebanese judges have been withheld out of fears for their safety.

Some in Lebanon doubt the tribunal will ever bring out the full truth, believing it might avoid digging deep to ensure Syria does not react by stirring up trouble in Lebanon and other parts of the region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on a trip through Africa, issued a statement praising Sunday's tribunal opening.

He said the commencement marked a "decisive milestone" in the efforts by all Lebanese and the international community to uncover the truth, and bring those responsible to justice.

The Hariri court is the latest international tribunal to be based in the Netherlands.

The Hague is home to the International Court of Justice, the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal and the International Criminal Court.

SHOTLIST:

01 March 2009

1. Wide of Beirut city skyline

2. Mid of Lebanese army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) on road

3. Close of APC

4. Mid of traffic on Beirut city street

5. Various of newspapers

6. Wide of Al-Amin mosque

7. Close of mosque

8. Wide of people standing around murdered former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's grave

9. Mid of people reciting versus of the Quran at Hariri's grave

10. Mid of Hariri's grave with pictures of Hariri in background

11. Close of Hariri's picture

12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohammad El-Sheikh, resident, vox pop:

"This tribunal will put an end to the killing, the criminal must be punished."

13. Mid of people standing around the grave

14. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Leila Fleifel, resident, vox pop:

"Lebanon will not be a place for living or for development if this tribunal is not effective."

15. Wide of traffic on city street

16. Mid of Lebanese army APC under bridge

FILE: 04 September 2000

17. Various of Hariri greeting people

FILE: 26 October 2000

18. Convoy of Hariri arriving at presidential palace after being elected Prime Minister

19. Hariri getting out of car and walking into presidential palace

20. Various of meeting between Hariri and then Lebanese President Emile Lahoud

21. Close of photographs of Hariri and his family

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rafik Hariri, former Lebanese Prime Minister:

"I believe we have to open the economy as much as we can, we have to overcome all the obstacles and try to make Lebanon as the commercial centre and financial centre for the middle east."

23. Close of Lebanese flag

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rafik Hariri, former Lebanese Prime Minister:

"You know, there's a consensus in Lebanon that Israel has to withdraw from all Lebanese territory. Anyway for me, I believe in peace and I believe that we have to do everything to achieve peace in the region."

25. Hariri talking mobile phone

STORYLINE:

An international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was starting work on Sunday at its headquarters in a village outside The Hague.

Despite the start of proceedings, it is still not known who will be accused in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people on a seaside street in Beirut on 14 February 2005.

Lebanese army forces in armoured personnel carriers were deployed on the streets of Beirut on Sunday to maintain calm.

Hundreds of Hariri supporters gathered peacefully around his grave in downtown Beirut, many expressing their support for the tribunal.

Mohammad El-Sheikh a resident in Beirut said whoever was responsible for the killing must be punished and he hoped the tribunal would achieve that.

While Leila Fleifel said Lebanon would not be a suitable place for living if the tribunal was not effective.

Four pro-Syrian generals are being held in Lebanese custody although none of them have been formally charged with Hariri's murder.

The generals led Lebanon's police, intelligence service and an elite army unit at the time of the assassination.

Court prosecutor Daniel Bellemare of Canada said he expects to request within weeks for Lebanon to transfer to the court the four generals.

As prime minister, Hariri, a billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war, and with trying to limit Syria's influence.

Many in Lebanon believe Syria was behind the assassination.

Syria has denied any involvement.

After the assassination, mass street protests in Lebanon and international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its troops from its neighbour after a 29-year presence.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon to investigate Hariri's killing was set up by the UN Security Council in 2007 and comprises both foreign and Lebanese judges.

It is based in the Netherlands to ensure the safety of staff and an impartial trial.

The judges have not yet been sworn in and the names of Lebanese judges have been withheld out of fears for their safety.

Some in Lebanon doubt the tribunal will ever bring out the full truth, believing it might avoid digging deep to ensure Syria does not react by stirring up trouble in Lebanon and other parts of the region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on a trip through Africa, issued a statement praising Sunday's tribunal opening.

He said the commencement marked a "decisive milestone" in the efforts by all Lebanese and the international community to uncover the truth, and bring those responsible to justice.

The Hariri court is the latest international tribunal to be based in the Netherlands.

The Hague is home to the International Court of Justice, the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal and the International Criminal Court.

SHOTLIST

1. Mid of people dancing and beating drums outside Major General Jamil Sayyed's home

2. Close up of portrait of the four released generals with writing (Arabic) "Free"

3. Mid of people dancing and waving flags

4. Tilt down from poster to people dancing

5. SOUNDBITE: (English), Nawar Al-Sahili, Hezbollah member of Parliament:

"It is a sad day for the Lebanese judges, what happened is that four big Generals were detained in prison for no reason. I think that what happened today is a victory not for the opposition or somebody in the political problems in Lebanon but it is a victory for the human rights and a victory for the law."

6. Woman on balcony waving portrait of the generals

7. Exterior of the Interior ministry

8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ziad Baroud, Lebanese Interior Minister:

"We have taken all the security measures for the immediate release of the four Generals according to the stipulation of the (International Tribunal) decision and according to the cooperation between the Lebanese state and the court. It is at this moment taking place."

9. Various of Lebanese army vehicles outside Roumieh prison

STORYLINE

There were celebrations across Beirut on Wednesday as live television carried the news of the release of four pro-Syrian generals being held as suspects in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Earlier on Wednesday a judge at the United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague, set up to prosecute Hariri's assassins, ordered the immediate release of the four generals.

The four ordered freed were former General Security chief Major General Jamil Sayyed; Major General Ali Hajj, the ex-Internal Security Forces director general; Brigadier General Raymond Azar, the former military intelligence chief; and the former Presidential Guards commander, Brigadier General Mustafa Hamdan.

Fireworks and some gunfire echoed across the Lebanese capital as news of the release was conveyed from The Hague.

At Sayyed's home in Beirut, relatives burst out in tears of joy, hugging and kissing each other.

Women relatives ululated in a traditional sign of jubilation.

Supporters of Sayyed gathered outside his house in Beirut dancing and beating drums to celebrate his release.

Hezbollah member of Parliament, Nawar Al-Sahili said it was a "sad day" for Lebanese justice, since it had recommended the detention of the generals.

Judge Daniel Fransen ordered the Lebanese generals freed after prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to justify their continued detention.

Fransen also demanded that Lebanese authorities protect the generals after their unconditional release and said they should no longer be considered suspects.

The generals have been in custody in Lebanon since August 2005, six months after Hariri and 22 others were killed in a suicide bombing.

Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said Lebanese authorities were taking immediate measures to free the generals, taking into consideration measures for their security.

The four generals were the only suspects being held in the case.

Three other suspects jailed for more than three years were set free on bail in Beirut in February, a few days before the tribunal began its work and jurisdiction of the case was transferred to the court.

Hariri's assassination and accusations by his supporters of Syrian involvement sparked massive protests in Lebanon and together with international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its army from the country, ending 29 years of domination.

Syria has denied involvement.

The release could have an immediate political impact.

Lebanon is heading into a crucial parliamentary election that pits a pro-Western faction headed by Hariri's son Saad against an opposition dominated by the militant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah.

Saad Hariri's faction is struggling to hold onto its legislative majority while the opposition has taken up the cause of the four generals.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has opposed the continued detention of the four, saying they should be charged and put on trial if they were suspected of involvement or otherwise released.

The tribunal opened March 1 amid tight security at the former headquarters of a Dutch intelligence agency in Leidschendam, a village on the outskirts of The Hague.

It is made up of Lebanese and international judges and Canadian prosecutor, Bellemare, who has yet to issue any indictments.

The court uses Lebanese law, but cannot impose the death penalty.

As prime minister, Hariri, a billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war, and with trying to limit Syria's influence in the country following decades of heavy military and intelligence presence.

UN-appointed investigators have been probing his assassination for years.

The first chief investigator, Germany's Detlev Mehlis, said the plot's complexity suggested that Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services had a role.

SHOTLIST

1. Beirut city skyline

2. Mid of traffic

3. Wide of newspaper stand

4. Tilt down of newspaper headlines

5. Mid of the released Generals' pictures

6. Man reading newspaper

7. Newspaper headline reading (Arabic) "The release of the Generals: An end of a phase"

8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Samer Habib, resident:

"The decision was supposed to be taken in Lebanon as long as they were innocent; it was unfair to stay three years (in prison). They should look after the killers and punish them"

9. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Amer Takieddine, resident:

"I see it politically biased. Nobody knows anything. It is a mess. Nobody knows how they were arrested and how they were released."

10. Mid of traffic

11. Wide of Saad Hariri, son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, meeting with Walid Jumblatt, head of National Democratic Gathering bloc

12. Close of Jumblatt

13. Close of Hariri

14. Hariri and Jumblatt walking towards podium

15. Cutaway cameraman

16. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic), Walid Jumblatt, head of National Democratic Gathering bloc:

"The most important thing we can do to execute the justice in the Hariri case is to go for the elections in one row and we will win the elections."

17. Mid of released General Jamil Al-Sayyed shaking hands with supporters

18. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Jamil Al-Sayyed, released General:

"I do not seek revenge and I do not have the hate feeling. Hate is for the weak in this life, but at the same time I was in charge in the State and I like accountability. If the judges who erred, the officers and the journalists who fed the false witnesses with information resign as a result of the court's decision then I consider being compensated. If they do not resign and if they will be fired by Saad Hariri then I will consider being compensated with his father (Rafik Hariri)"

19. Wide of hall

STORYLINE

One of four generals released after being held for nearly four years over the 2005 truck bomb assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said on Thursday he did not seek revenge.

"I do not have the hate feeling. Hate is for the weak in this life," said former general security chief Major General Jamil Al-Sayyed, one of those freed.

Lebanon released them on orders from a UN-backed tribunal.

Their release from a Beirut prison left the international tribunal in the Netherlands with no suspects in custody after a four-year UN investigation into an assassination that triggered enormous political and sectarian turmoil in one of the Middle East's most volatile countries.

The tribunal's decision, after prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to justify their continued detention, could also have an immediate political impact.

Lebanon is heading into a crucial parliamentary election on 7 June that pits a pro-Western faction headed by Hariri's son Saad against an opposition dominated by the militant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah.

Saad Hariri's faction is struggling to hold onto its legislative majority.

The opposition, which took up the cause of the four generals, could get a boost from their release.

The generals had been held since August 2005 for suspected involvement in the suicide bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others in Beirut in February of that year.

Tribunal judge Daniel Fransen demanded that Lebanese authorities protect the generals after he ordered their unconditional release and said they should no longer be considered suspects.

Fransen said a key witness had retracted a statement that initially incriminated the generals, undermining the case against them.

Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said in court he would not appeal.

So far, Bellemare has not indicted anyone and has not identified any other suspects in the suicide bombing.

Hariri's assassination sparked mass protests that forced Syria's army out of the country after about three decades of political and military domination by Lebanon's neighbour.

As prime minister, Hariri, a (b) billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war and with trying to limit Syria's influence in the last months before his assassination.

SHOTLIST

1. Exterior of Arab League headquarters in Cairo

2. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Amr Moussa, Arab League Secretary General:

"We hope that an understanding can be reached within the Lebanese government regarding the (UN) Security Council decision, so that a political reconciliation can be achieved. What is important is that this tribunal be lawful, respected and agreed upon by all sides. I hope we can achieve that (reconciliation) through our ongoing communications (with the different factions of Lebanese government)."

3. Wide of Moussa leaving

STORYLINE

Arab League General Secretary Amr Moussa said, on Thursday, that he hoped "an understanding can be reached within the Lebanese government regarding the (UN) Security Council decision, so that a political reconciliation can be achieved," in Lebanon.

The United Nations Security Council voted, on Wednesday, to unilaterally establish an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The decision was welcomed by Hariri supporters and denounced by Syria and its supporters in the Lebanese opposition.

The tribunal has been at the core of a months-long political crisis between western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government in Beirut and the Syrian- backed Hezbollah-led opposition - which has erupted into street clashes killing 11 people.

A UN investigation has implicated Syria in Hariri's assassination in 2005 when the Syrian army controlled Lebanon.

Syria has denied involvement.

Hariri's assassination sparked huge protests across Lebanon against Syria, which was widely seen as culpable.

Syria denied involvement but was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending a 29-year presence.

The initial UN investigator said the complexity of Hariri's assassination suggested the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services played a role, but the probe is continuing.

Four Lebanese generals, top pro-Syrian security chiefs, have been under arrest for 20 months, accused of involvement in Hariri's murder.

SHOTLIST:

1. Exterior of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) building

2. Wide of Lebanese supporters for the STL outside the building

3. Close of woman carrying picture of murdered former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and a poster showing the scales of justice

4. Mid of supporters holding Lebanese flags

5. Various of media at first day of STL hearing

6. Wide of news conference where the STL logo is revealed showing scales of justice

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Patricia O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Counsel, United Nations:

"It's critical that the people of Lebanon see that this tribunal is an independent and impartial institution. Its establishment constitutes a strong signal that such assassinations and other terrorist attacks will not be tolerated and that impunity cannot be allowed to persist."

8. Wide of news conference

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Daniel Bellemare, prosecutor, Special Tribunal for Lebanon:

"The creation of this Special Tribunal for Lebanon is the result of a tragedy - the killing of a former Prime-minister and of other 22 persons. By the very nature of its mandate, the STL is the first international anti-terrorist tribunal. The creation of tribunal was a political decision. Its operation, however, is and must remain above politics, governed by an impartial and principled approach based on the rule of law."

10. Wide of news conference as Bellemare returns to seat

11. Mid of media

12. Wide of news conference

13. Close of Bellemare leaving podium and shaking hands with other people on stage

STORYLINE

An international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the slaying of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri opened on Sunday in Leidschendam, the Netherlands, with a moment's silence and a pledge to impartially investigate the politically charged case.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Patricia O'Brien, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, within the United Nations, said it was critical that the people of Lebanon saw the tribunal as an "independent and impartial institution."

She said its establishment was intended to send a "strong signal that such assassinations and other terrorist attacks will not be tolerated and that impunity cannot be allowed to persist."

Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said the tribunal was borne out of the tragedy of Hariri's murder and that of 22 other people.

Bellemare said by the very nature of its mandate, the STL was the first international anti-terrorist tribunal.

He said its creation was a political decision but its operation, however, "is and must remain above politics, governed by impartial and principal approach based on the rule of law."

Bellemare said he would continue his investigations without political interference and would call for Lebanese authorities to turn over four pro-Syrian generals who are suspects in the case.

Bellemare, a Canadian, said he could issue several indictments as a result of his wide-ranging investigation into the 14 February 2005 suicide bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others on a Beirut seaside street, but he would not say when.

The four generals led Lebanon's police, intelligence service and an elite army unit at the time of the assassination.

They are the only suspects in custody, though they have not been formally charged.

The new court has a wing ready to detain suspects in a Hague jail that already holds Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and former Liberian President Charles Taylor, among other international war crimes suspects.

In Lebanon, hundreds of Hariri supporters gathered near his tomb in downtown Beirut where they watched the opening session from two giant screens.

Earlier, dozens of anti-Syrian lawmakers laid wreaths on Hariri's tomb and those of his bodyguards and aides who were killed with him four years ago.

As prime minister, Hariri, a billionaire businessman, was credited with rebuilding downtown Beirut after the 1975-90 civil war, and with trying to limit Syria's influence.

Many in Lebanon believe Syria was behind the assassination but Damascus denies any involvement.

After the assassination, mass street protests in Lebanon and international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its troops from its neighbour after a 29-year presence.

The court was set up by the UN Security Council in 2007 and comprises seven foreign and four Lebanese judges who have yet to take office.

It is funded by Lebanon and UN member states and based in the Netherlands to ensure the safety of staff and an impartial trial.

It will use Lebanese law, but unlike Lebanese courts cannot impose the death penalty.

Unusually for an international tribunal, it can hold trials in absentia.

SHOTLIST:

++NIGHT SHOT++

1. Pan of offices of the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora

++INTERIOR SHOTS++

2. Saniora and Lebanese ministers standing for a minute's silence after the death of anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido.

3. Saniora and ministers sit

4. Various of cabinet meeting

5. Saniora speaking at news conference

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"The series of assassinations against the deputies, ministers and those who work in the political, educational and information domains are continuing in an attempt to affect the strength of the majority."

7. Cutaway of cameraman

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"We are calling the council of foreign ministers of the Arab league for an extraordinary meeting, and to show responsibility towards Lebanon, towards its people and for the future of freedom. Also we are requesting the technical and security assistance of the United Nations to prevent these ugly crimes and to enlarge the international investigations to include this new terrorist crime which was committed after the ratification of the international tribunal (a few) days ago."

9. Close up of camera lens

10. Saniora leaving media conference

++NIGHT SHOTS++

11. Fire truck inside the cordoned off area near the explosion site with people walking around

12. Damaged vehicle in front of cordoned off area

13. Various of damaged building

14. Mid of fire officers directing fire truck backwards

STORYLINE:

The Lebanese government held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening after anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido and at least nine other people were killed when a bomb-rigged car, rocked Beirut's seafront earlier in the day.

The 65-year-old lawmaker, Walid Eido, was the seventh opponent of Damascus to be killed in two years in the conflict-ridden country.

Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora and government ministers stood at the Lebanese parliament for a minute's silence during their cabinet meeting.

After the meeting Fuad Saniora declared Thursday a national day of mourning and called for an emergency meeting of Arab leaders and for the international community to help in the investigation into Eido's killing.

"The series of assassination against the deputies, ministers and those who work in the political, educational and information domain are continuing in an attempt to affect the strength of the majority," said Saniora.

Saniora also called on the United Nations to assist Lebanon with their security so they could prevent what he called, "ugly crimes," from happening in the future.

"We are requesting the technical and security assistance of the United Nations to prevent these ugly crimes and to enlarge the international investigations to include this new terrorist crime which was committed after the ratification of the international tribunal (a few) days ago.''

Eido's son, two bodyguards and six others were also killed in the explosion, security officials said. Eleven others were wounded, they said.

Investigations were still taking place at the site of the explosion on Wednesday night with many security officials and fire trucks at the scene

The explosion occurred less than two kilometres (less than a mile) from the site of a suicide truck bombing that killed former anti-Syrian Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others in February 2005.

The UN Security Council earlier this month ordered the creation of a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for Hariri's assassination, despite the opposition from Syrian-backed groups in Lebanon.

The slain lawmaker, Walid Eido, was a prominent supporter of the tribunal.

Many Lebanese have accused Syria of being behind the slayings, a claim Damascus denies.

Eido's supporters quickly blamed Syria for Wednesday's assassination.

SHOTLIST:

Cairo, Egypt - 22 November 2006

1. Exterior shot of the Arab league Headquarters in Cairo

2. Wide of Secretary -General Amr Moussa at microphone

3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Amr moussa, Arab league Secretary General: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

"I feel sorry and so angry for what happened yesterday regarding these crimes and especially that one, which happened at a time that we were hoping to take up conversations between all different Lebanese sects, and not to add a new furious factor and anger in the different Lebanese communities. And I have got nothing better to say than what (former) president Amin Gemayel, the father of the deceased said, as he asked people to stay quiet and calm. And this reaction from him was the right reaction taken from a statesman, confronting such a personal, human, and political incident he asked people to stay quiet and to only put in account what could be done for Lebanon's sake. And of course they should investigate in this crime to reach the facts of his assassination."

Paris, France - 22 November 2006

4. Wide shot of Elysee Palace

5. SOUNDBITE (French): Dominique Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:

"Of course we talked about the situation in Lebanon. We condemned this new attempt to destabilise Lebanon, which is completely unacceptable. We are more than ever behind the Lebanese people, behind the Lebanese government, and as stated by the UN Secretary General, in Lebanon there cannot be peace unless there is justice. This is the reason why overnight the UN Security Council voted in New York: the establishment of an International Crime tribunal in order for such crimes not to be left unpunished. It is imperative to find out who did it in order to punish those who with assassination, with violence, tried to destabilise a country that deserves to be free, independent and sovereign."

Berlin, Germany - 22 November 2006

6. Wide top shot of German Bundestag, lower house of parliament

7. SOUNDBITE (German): Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"We condemn this murder. We want an independent Lebanon and violence must be stopped with the greatest determination. This was a cowardly killing which the United Nations has to condemn."

Vatican City - 22 November 2006

8. Wide view of St. Peter's Square crowded with pilgrims

9. Iraqi delegation attending pope's audience

10. SOUNDBITE (Italian): Pope Benedict XVI:

"I have learned with great grief of the murder of Pierre Gemayel, Industry Minister of the government of Lebanon, and I firmly condemn this. My prayer goes to the mourning family and to the loved people of Lebanon."

11. Wide of St. Peter's Square

STORYLINE:

Leaders around the world on Wednesday continued their condemnation of the assassination of Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel by unknown gunmen.

The anti-Syrian Cabinet Minister and scion of Lebanon's most prominent Christian political family was gunned down on Tuesday in a suburb of Beirut.

Amr Moussa, the Secretary General of the Arab league, expressed his sorrow at the killing during a meeting at the organisation's headquarters in Cairo.

He called for calm among the Lebanese people, echoing the words of Amin Gemayel, the assassinated minister's father.

"I have got nothing better to say than what (former) president Amin Gemayel, the father of the deceased said, as he asked people to stay quiet and calm," said Moussa.

Moussa also said called for an investigation into the attack, and added that he would be departing for Lebanon to attend Gemayel's funeral.

French Foreign Minister Dominique Douste-Blazy added his voice on Wednesday to those of politicians around the world.

Speaking a the Elysee Palace in Paris, Douste-Blazy said the French government had talked about the situation in Lebanon in its weekly Cabinet meeting.

"We condemned this new attempt to destabilise Lebanon which is completely unacceptable. We are more than ever behind the Lebanese people, behind the Lebanese government," he said.

The assassination came hours before the United Nations Security Council was expected to endorse a draft document creating the international court to try suspects for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, in which a UN investigation has implicated several Syrian officials.

The document will go to the Lebanese government for final approval.

Douste-Blazy told reporters: "It is imperative to find out who did it in order to punish those who with assassination, with violence, tried to destabilise a country that deserves to be free, independent and sovereign."

In a speech to the German Bundestag - the lower house of parliament - the German Chancellor also condemned the "cowardly" murder of Pierre Gemayel, the minister of industry in Lebanon.

"We want an independent Lebanon and violence must be stopped with the greatest determination," Angela Merkel said.

In Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday condemned the killing and called on all Lebanese to work for peace and reconciliation.

"I have learned with great grief of the murder of Pierre Gemayel and I firmly condemn this. My prayer goes to the mourning family and to the loved people of Lebanon," said Pope Benedict XVI in front of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during his weekly audience.

Benedict described Tuesday's assassination as a brutal attack and said he was praying for the victim's family and the Lebanese people.

SHOTLIST

1. Wide exterior of parliament building in Damascus with troops on parade

2. Various of Syrian President Bashar al Assad's arrival

3. Wide of Assad addressing parliament

5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bashar al Assad, Syrian President:

"We stood firmly against the war in Iraq. We opposed to the occupation and insisted on the establishment of a timeline for the withdrawal of the occupying foreign troops. We believe the Iraqi people have the right to resist this occupation, but we also support the political process in Iraq, on the condition that all different sects of Iraqis are represented in that process. We let it be known that we are ready to make every effort to establish a national dialogue in Iraq. Not because we want to please anybody, but because we are sincere in our desire to achieve stability for our brothers in Iraq and the region. Let me make this very clear - our role in Iraq is to help the Iraqi people get through the current national crisis and not to help the occupation forces clean up the mess they are in."

6. Wide of parliament hall - members of parliament applauding

7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bashar al Assad, Syrian President:

"The issue of the International Court (to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri) is strictly between Lebanon and the United Nations, as far as we are concerned. It does not concern us directly. Syria will not to co-operate, on this or any other issue, if its national sovereignty is threatened in any way."

8. Wide of parliament hall - Members of Parliament applauding

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bashar al Assad, Syrian President:

"We have not seen any progress as far as the peace process is concerned. We have not had any contact with Israel, secret or otherwise, because Israel is not ready on the official and popular level for a just and comprehensive peace, which requires strong leadership that can take decisive decisions, in addition to a mature public opinion that can push their governments in that direction."

10. Wide of parliament hall - members of parliament applauding

11. Assad waving to crowd as members of parliament cheer and applauding

12. Wide of parliament hall - members of parliament cheering and applauding

STORYLINE

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Thursday the current Israeli government was weak and not prepared for a just peace with its neighbours.

Addressing the opening of the newly elected parliament, the Syrian leader also denied direct or secret contacts with Israel and stressed the longstanding Syrian demand for withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Golan Heights in return for peace with the Jewish state.

"We have not had any contact with Israel, secret or otherwise, because Israel is not ready on the official and popular level for a just and comprehensive peace, which requires strong leadership that can take decisive decisions, in addition to a mature public opinion that can push their governments in that direction," he said.

He noted that the peace process had failed to progress in the absence of an honest broker, an allusion to the US tilt toward Israel.

Assad also said that Syria would make every effort to help establish a national dialogue in Iraq and restore stability to the country for the sake of the Iraqi people, but stressed his government had no interest in offering support to the US-led coalition forces currently in Iraq.

"We are ready to make every effort to establish a national dialogue in Iraq. Not because we want to please anybody, but because we are sincere in our desire to achieve stability for our brothers in Iraq and the region," Assad said.

"Let me make this very clear - our role in Iraq is to help the Iraqi people get through the current national crisis and not to help the occupation forces clean up the mess they are in," he added.

Assad's comments come on the heels of landmark talks on Iraq between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, during the International Conference on Iraq.

Officials on both sides were hopeful that the meeting, which took place last week in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, would mark a starting point for a new relationship between the Syria and the US.

Assad also commented on efforts by the members of the Lebanese government to establish an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

Assad said the matter was "strictly between Lebanon and the United Nations, as far as we are concerned."

It did not, he said, concern Syria directly.

Syria is accused by many of orchestrating the assassination of Hariri, who was vocally opposed to Syria's military and political involvement in Lebanon.

Damascus vehemently denies any involvement.