Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Lebanon on Feb. 14 lasted no more than 10 days. Once again, his quick departure was no surprise. On Aug. 8, 2014, he made a short visit to Beirut that only lasted a couple of days, bearing a Saudi grant of $1 billion to the Lebanese army, three years after he was forced to leave the country when his government was overthrown and replaced by that of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The main reason behind the shortness of his visits to Beirut is the lack of security to ensure his safety. These conditions do not seem to be improving, despite the dialogue between his party, the Future Movement, and Hezbollah that has been ongoing since December and focuses on key political and security issues, such as facing the Salafist threat and electing a president. The heated speech he made in Beirut on Feb. 14, during a ceremony at the BIEL complex to mark the 10th anniversary of the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, did not help reduce the risks to his personal security.
