Thousands attend funeral of former Lebanese PM

Thousands of chanting, flag-waving mourners gathered today in an emotion-charged prelude to the funeral procession for slain ex-premier Rafik Hariri, the man credited with rebuilding post-civil war Lebanon and seen as quietly opposing Syrian influence in his country’s affairs.

A huge security operation was organised for Hariri’s funeral service, which was to start at his palatial Koreitem compound in a posh Beirut neighbourhood and wind for about two miles through the capital to his burial at the towering Mohammed al-Amin mosque, construction of which he funded.