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Bassel Fleihan

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Bassel Fuleihan
Born
Bassel Fuleihan

10 September 1963
Beirut, Lebanon
Died18 April 2005(2005-04-18) (aged 41)
Clamart, France
Resting placeTohwita, Beirut
NationalityLebanese
Alma materAmerican University of Beirut
Yale University
Columbia University
OccupationEconomist
Years active1988–2005
SpouseYasma Fuleihan
Parent(s)Farid Fuleihan, Rida Fuleihan

Bassel Fleihan (10 September 1963 – 18 April 2005; Arabic: باسل فليحان) was a Lebanese legislator and Minister of Economy and Trade. He died from injuries sustained when a massive bomb exploded on the Beirut seafront as he passed by in former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri's motorcade on 14 February 2005.

Early years and education

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Fleihan was born in Beirut on 10 September 1963.[1] He attended the International College, a non-profit private school in Beirut. He received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1984.[1] Then he obtained a master of arts degree in international and development economics from Yale University in 1985.[2] He also held a PhD in economics from Columbia University in 1990.[3] His PhD dissertation was entitled “Customs Unions, Growth and Economic Diversification”.[4]

Career

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From 1988 to 1993, Fleihan worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.[5] He worked there as an advisor and then senior advisor to the Saudi executive director.[4] He also worked at the United Nations Development Programme.[5] In 1993, he left his job and returned to Lebanon, where he had been asked to assist in the post-war rehabilitation of the ministry of finance. While working as an adviser at the ministry, from 1993 to 1999, Fleihan also taught economics at his old alma mater, the American University of Beirut (AUB).[6]

Fleihan was first elected to the Parliament of Lebanon in 2000, winning the Protestant seat in Beirut's first electoral district, and became the only Protestant member of the Parliament.[7][8] He ran as a member of Hariri's "Dignity of Beirut" electoral list.[9] In October 2000, he was appointed minister of economy and trade to the cabinet led by then prime minister Rafik Hariri.[10] He held this position until 2003, and was replaced by Marwan Hamadeh.[11]

Fleihan played a role in the development of Lebanon's economic reform program, which was presented by Hariri to international donors at a Paris conference in November 2002.[citation needed] Donors pledged $4.3 billion in soft loans; the plan was never fully implemented, but Lebanon did ultimately receive $2.39 billion from the donors.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Fleihan was a Protestant and a member of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut. Fleihan is survived by his wife, Yasma Fleihan, their children, Rayna (born 1999) and Rayan (born 2001), and his brother Ramsay and his family.[3]

Death and funeral

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The day before the Hariri assassination, Fleihan was in Geneva, Switzerland. Although his wife had tried to convince him to extend his stay in Europe, Fleihan insisted on returning to Lebanon for an extraordinary Parliamentary session scheduled for 14 February 2005. After the session, Fleihan joined Hariri in his motorcade to head back to the latter's mansion in West Beirut. About half-way through their journey, a one-ton truck bomb exploded as they passed through the city's upscale seafront hotel district. At least a dozen people—including Hariri and several of his bodyguards—were killed instantly; the final death toll rose to 21.

Despite being seated beside Hariri when the explosion occurred, Fleihan lived through the attack.[12] However, severe burns covered over 95% of his body.[13] Fleihan was first taken to the intensive care unit of the American University Hospital.[14] Then he was airlifted to Percy Military Hospital in Clamart (suburb of Paris),[15] where he survived for 64 days before finally succumbing to his injuries. He died on 18 April 2005.[3] Fleihan's body was taken to Lebanon and funeral service was held at a Protestant church in Beirut.[16] He was buried in Tohwita, a suburb of Beirut, on 22 April.[17][18]

A United Nations investigation of the incident by Detlev Mehlis, released in October 2005, pointed the finger at Syrian officials.[19] Bashar al-Assad is widely regarded to have directly ordered the assassination.[20][21][22] In 2020, the UN-authorized Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) convicted Hezbollah military officer Salam Ayyash in absentia for playing a "central role" in the 2005 bombing.[23] The STL found two more Hezbollah members guilty of being accomplices in the assassination in 2022.[24] The court did not find evidence implicating Hezbollah's leaders, and the group denies responsibility.[23][24]

Legacy

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Fuleihan's family established Basil Fuleihan Foundation in Lebanon after his death. The aim of the foundation is stated to be the provision of the basis for tomorrow’s Lebanon by promoting improvements in public policy and public service.[25] In February 2006, the finance institute at Lebanese finance ministry was named the "Bassel Fleihan finance and economy institute", which Fleihan actively contributed its foundation in 1996.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Lebanon Who's Who". Arab Gateway. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Former Lebanese minister dies from injuries". Middle East Online. 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Bassel Fleihan Dies in Paris from Severe Burns in Hariri's Assassination". Naharnet. 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Basil Fleihan". Basil Fleihan Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Fleihan dies from his wounds". IOL News. Beirut. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Lebanese MP dies from injuries sustained in Beirut blast". ITP. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Opposition Candidates Win Elections". APS Diplomat Recorder. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Lebanon: Protestant Christians Wounded in Car Bomb Blast". APD. 16 February 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Murr Releases Official Results of Lebanon's Second Round of Elections". Albawaba. 5 September 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  10. ^ "Hariri Forms Govt". APS Diplomat Recorder. 28 October 2000. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Former Ministers". Ministry of Economy and Trade. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Two former ministers survive Lebanon blast". Lebanon Wire. Beirut. AFP. 14 February 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  13. ^ Liz Cheney (15 April 2007). "Conducting diplomacy in Syria is shameful". Deseret News. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Former PM Rafik Hariri Killed in Explosion in Beirut". AINA. Beirut. 14 February 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  15. ^ Mohalhel Fakih (17–23 February 2005). "A city mourns". Al Ahram Weekly. 730. Archived from the original on 25 March 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  16. ^ "Thousands attend funeral of Lebanon minister killed with Hariri". Lebanonwire. AFP. 22 April 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  17. ^ "Victim of Hariri bombing buried". BBC. 22 April 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  18. ^ "March 14 Officials Lay Wreaths at Graves of Cedar Revolution Martyrs". Naharnet. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  19. ^ "HEAD INVESTIGATOR INTO KILLING OF FORMER LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER RAFIK HARIRI BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL, DESCRIBES 'CONVERGING EVIDENCE' OF SYRIAN INVOLVEMENT | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". press.un.org. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  20. ^ Coughlin, Con (2023). "5: First Blood". Assad: The Triumph of Tyranny. 6 Briset Street, London EC1M 5NR, UK: Pan Macmillan. pp. 80–97. ISBN 978-1-5290-7490-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  21. ^ MacAskill, Ewen; Goldenberg, Suzanne (13 January 2006). "Syria may aid UN inquiry into Hariri murder". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Khaddam: Al-Assad ordered killing". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Hezbollah militant Salim Ayyash given life sentences for Hariri killing". 11 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Rafik Hariri killing: Hezbollah duo convicted of 2005 bombing on appeal". 10 March 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Our vision". Basil Fleihan Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Finance Institute Named After Bassel Fleihan". Naharnet. 16 February 2006. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
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