Mr. Speaker, hundreds of thousands of mourners converged on Beirut today for the funeral of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri two days after a car bomb killed him and 16 others.
During his 10 years as prime minister, Rafik Hariri was credited with rebuilding his country after a devastating civil war, and was recognized and applauded internationally, including in Canada, as a moderate politician.
While the search for the perpetrators of this violent act continues, we must ensure that the people of Lebanon are safe and free to choose their parliamentarians in the coming election without any interference or pressure from what Lebanese and international observers call the Syrian occupation.
For these reasons Canada and the international community must insist on the withdrawal of some 15,000 Syrian forces from Lebanon as per UN resolution number 1559. Lebanese sovereignty must be respected and must be protected. For this to happen, the occupying Syrian forces must be withdrawn and their affiliated offices in the country closed.