Bassel Fleihan

Bassel Fleihan (Arabic: باسل فليحان, September 10, 1963 - April 18, 2005) was a Lebanese legislator and Minister of Economy and Commerce. He died from injuries sustained when a massive bomb exploded on the Beirut seafront as he passed by in former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's motorcade on February 14, 2005. 20 other people, including Hariri, were killed by the blast. Despite being seated beside Hariri when the explosion occurred, Fleihan lived through the attack; however, severe burns covered over 95% of his body. Fleihan was airlifted to Percy Military Hospital in Clamart (suburb of Paris), where he survived for 64 days before finally succumbing to his injuries.

Education

Fleihan attended International College. He received a BA in Economics (cum laude) from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1984, an MA in International and Development Economics from Yale University in 1985, and a PhD in Economics from Columbia University in 1990.

Career

Professional career

From 1988 to 1993, Fleihan worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC. In 1993, he left his job and promising future in the United States 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 to the Ministry, from 1993 to 1999, Fleihan also taught economics at his old alma mater, AUB.

Political career

Fleihan was first elected to the Parliament of Lebanon in 2000, winning the Protestant seat in Beirut's first electoral district. He ran as a member of Hariri's "Dignity of Beirut" electoral list; in October of the same year, he was appointed Minister of Economy and Trade, a position he held until the government resigned in 2003.

Fleihan played a major 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. Donors pledged $4.3 billion in soft loans; unfortunately, the plan was never fully implemented, but Lebanon did ultimately receive $2.39 billion from the donors.

February 14, 2005

The day before the fateful explosion, Fleihan was thousands of miles away from Beirut in Geneva Switzerland. Although his wife tried to convince him to extend his stay in Europe, Fleihan insisted on returning to Lebanon for an extraordinary Parliamentary session scheduled for February 14th.

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. A United Nations investigation of the incident by Detlev Mehlis, released in October 2005, pointed the finger at Syrian and Lebanese officials.

The bombing caused widespread outrage in Lebanon, sparking a protest movement that has now been dubbed the "Cedar Revolution." During the 64 days Fleihan survived, "Cedar Revolutionaries" and other supporters held numerous vigils in his honor.

Personal life

A quiet, academic man, Fleihan was a devout Protestant and a member of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut. Fleihan is survived by his wife, Yasma, and their two young children, Rena and Rayan.

ee also

*Lebanon
*Rafik al-Hariri
*Cedar Revolution

References

*"Fleihan, Bassel." (2002) [http://www.al-bab.com/arab/countries/lebanon/biogAH.htm Arab Gateway: Lebanon Who's Who (A-H)] . Retrieved 25 April 2005.
* [http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/F90B724230BEC435C2256FE700308DB8?OpenDocument "Bassel Fleihan Dies in Paris from Severe Burns in Hariri's Assassination."] Naharnet, April 20, 2005.
*Habib, Osama. [http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=14390 "Fleihan's brutal killing marks stark contrast to a quiet life."] The Daily Star, April 19, 2005.

External links

* [http://basil.typepad.com/ Praying for Basil]