20
February 2015
Past Event
Ten Years After the Assassination of Rafik Hariri: the Fate of Lebanon and the Future of the Middle East

Ten Years After the Assassination of Rafik Hariri: the Fate of Lebanon and the Future of the Middle East

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
February 20, 2015
Default Event Image
20
February 2015
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
Lee Smith

Former Senior Fellow

michael_doran
Michael Doran

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East

Tony Badran
Tony Badran

News Editor, Tablet

Hussain Abdul Hussain

Washington Bureau Chief, <i>al-Rai</i> (Kuwait)

The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a decade ago not only cut down one of the region’s moderate Muslim leaders but also became a major catalyst for the broader sectarian war currently engulfing the Middle East.

Hariri’s death initially gave rise to Lebanon’s pro-democracy March 14 movement, one of the region’s most hopeful political trends. Over time, though, the country’s democratic dreams were shattered as the Iranian-backed Hezbollah tightened its grip in Lebanon and the Arab uprisings of 2011, symbolized in the nonviolent opposition that first arose against Syria’s Assad, descended into radicalism and war.

Indeed, in the wake of Hariri’s murder, clear fault lines are now readily seen between Sunni and Shia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, moderate and extremist. The question now facing Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East is which path will the region follow in the years ahead—that of Hariri, the moderate who sought to educate Lebanese students across the sectarian divide to build a bright future for the country, or that violent, anti-democratic ideology of his assassins?

Hudson Institute hosted a panel discussion on Rafik Hariri’s legacy and the future of Lebanon and beyond. Hudson Senior Fellows Lee Smith and Michael Doran joined Tony Badran of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Hussain Abdul Hussain, Washington bureau chief for al-Rai (Kuwait) to discuss how Lebanon’s fate may shape the region for years to come.

Related Events
31
March 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
“The Perfect Allies”: Examining the US-Baltic Relationship Under the Trump Administration
Featured Speakers:
Amb. Kalev Stoicescu
Amb Eitvydas Bajarūnas
Olevs Nikers
Luke Coffey
Getty Images
31
March 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
“The Perfect Allies”: Examining the US-Baltic Relationship Under the Trump Administration

With global threats to freedom on the rise and America’s security commitments growing uncertain, join Luke Coffey and a panel of Baltic security experts for a discussion on the future of US-Baltic relations in the second Trump administration.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Amb. Kalev Stoicescu
Amb Eitvydas Bajarūnas
Olevs Nikers
Luke Coffey
01
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Great Power Competition in the Horn of Africa
Featured Speakers:
Ebenezer Obadare
Moshe Terdiman
Joshua Meservey
Getty Images
01
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Great Power Competition in the Horn of Africa

Experts discuss what large powers such as the United States, China, and Russia are doing in the Horn, their strategies and motivations, and the impact they might have on the region.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Ebenezer Obadare
Moshe Terdiman
Joshua Meservey
02
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America First and the Trump Administration’s New Investment Agenda
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
William Chou
Mario Mancuso
Getty Images
02
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America First and the Trump Administration’s New Investment Agenda

Join Hudson’s Mario Mancuso, William Chou, and Thomas Duesterberg for a discussion about the Trump administration’s recently announced America First Investment Policy. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
William Chou
Mario Mancuso
31
March 2025
Past Event
Fully Exploiting Autonomous Military Systems
Featured Speakers:
Wahid Nawabi
Lindsey Sheppard
Scott Gilloon
Matt Macnak
Kevin Chlan
Rob Morrissey
Dan Javorsek
Moderator:
Bryan Clark
DVIDS
31
March 2025
Past Event
Fully Exploiting Autonomous Military Systems

Senior Fellow Bryan Clark will sit down for a fireside chat with AeroVironment Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Wahid Nawabi about how the US military can realize these opportunities in autonomous systems. 

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Wahid Nawabi
Lindsey Sheppard
Scott Gilloon
Matt Macnak
Kevin Chlan
Rob Morrissey
Dan Javorsek
Moderator:
Bryan Clark