Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too.
announced on Monday his total rejection to the people-army-resistance equation, stressing also that he will never abandon his allies.
"The people-army-resistance equation is completely rejected, full stop," Hariri said in an interview on Future TV.
Hariri explained his controversial decision to take part in a cabinet with Hizbullah ministers.
"If I though about this matter from an emotional perspective only, I would not hold dialogue with other factions in the country in the future," he said.
"My duty calls for using logic. I have said there are many disagreements with the March 8 forces
... the opposition to the Mar. 14th movement, consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, so-called in commemoration of their Mar. 8th, 2006 demonstration of strength in Beirut ...
, especially with Hizbullah."
Hariri continued: "Our problem with the other camp is their insistence on the 9-9-6 cabinet lineup, as well as on other conditions. We told them before that we are ready to give them the government they want but that they have to withdraw from Syria. We told them to form a neutral cabinet for people's sake."
"We are against giving them the one third number of ministers with the veto power, and we support rotation of ministries and the Baabda Declaration, not the people-army-resistance equation," he added.
The former premier stressed that he insists on this stance.
"And if they say they do not want to reconsider their conditions regarding the ministerial statement, we will not change ours as well," he stated.
Despite the disagreement with some March 14 parties regarding taking part in the cabinet, Hariri assured that he will stand by his allies "till death."
"We are still communicating with our allies, whether with the Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
or with other parties. We explained our point of view to them and I hope (LF leader)
Samir Geagea... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ...
would rethink his stance on participating in the cabinet."
He assured, however, that he will stand by Geagea regardless of the decision the LF leader takes.
"We will never leave his side," Hariri said.