Daily Star - Hariri slams 'despicable' calls to release four detained generals, April 19, 2008

Parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri urged groups that have called for the release of four former security chiefs detained over their alleged involvement in the assassination of his father to "return to their conscience." "This a blatant interference in the international investigation into the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri," Hariri said in a statement to mark the thir anniversary of the death of former Economy and Trade Minister Bassel Fuleihan, who succumb to wounds sustained in the blast that killed the premier. Hariri said any request for the release of the four officers was a "blatant attack on the blood of all the martyrs who have fallen since February 14 2005," adding that it was "a despicable attempt" to put pressure on the investigation. Former head of the General Security Jamil Sayyed, in addition to ex-presidential guard chief General Mustafa Hamdan, the former head of the Internal Security Forces General Ali al-Hajj and the ex-chief of army intelligence General Raymond Azar, have been detained for more than two years for alleged involvement in Hariri's killing. In a statement issued Friday Sayyed said he will "not be dragged into a personal quarrel with Hariri." "My struggle is against the Lebanese judiciary ... and therefore I will not respond to Hariri's comments." Also on Friday, Hizbullah issued a statement saying that the March 14 Forces has had a "vindictive" attitude with regard to the four former security chiefs, "even before their arrest." "They are the one who accused and arrested and put on trial and passed judgments and, therefore, they need such maneuvers to provide cover to the arrest of the four generals, which constitutes a crime against humanity," the statement said. Meanwhile, An-Nahar newspaper quoted European diplomatic sources in Paris as saying that the international probe committee into Hariri's murder had concluded that the criminal network that assassinated Hariri was able to carry out its task "because it enjoyed not only protection, but political and security immunity, at the highest levels during the Syrian hegemony over Lebanon." "Masterminds of this terrorist crime and the perpetrators did not expect Hariri's murder to provoke such an unprecedented Arab and international concern," the sources added.