Original sentence: "  The United States, the EU and the UN have stopped short of any accusations, choosing instead to demand a Syrian pullout from Lebanon and an open and international investigation of the Assassination.He last resigned from office on 20 October 2004.He was quoted as saying "When I heard him telling us those words, I knew that it was his condemnation of death.Long time anti-Syrian opposition figure and Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, emboldened by popular anger and civic action now being called Lebanon's "Cedar Spring," alleged in the wake of the assassination that in August 2004 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad threatened Hariri, saying "[President of Lebanon]  Lahoud is me.No actual substantial evidence implicating any party or individual has yet been uncovered in the case.Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri (1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005), was a Lebanese self-made billionaire and business tycoon, and was twice Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and 2000 to 2004
Edited sentence: " Syria considered Hariri a threat because he was a Sunni Muslim figure admired in both countries, he had powerful friends in both the West and Saudi Arabia, and he opposed the Syrian occupation of Lebanon." al-Assad is widely suspected of being responsible for Hariri's murder, which incited Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution.Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said "When I heard him telling us those words, I knew that it was his condemnation of death.In August 2004, Syrian President al-Assad is said to have threatened Hariri, saying "[President of Lebanon]  Lahoud is me.Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri (1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005), was a Lebanese self-made billionaire and business tycoon, and was twice Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and 2000 to 2004, before his last resignation from office on 20 October 2004.Syria's minority Alawite rulers deposed the Syrian Sunni leadership and brutally repressed the majority Sunni population (see Hama Massacre conducted by al-Assad's father Hafez), so al-Assad's Alawite leadership fears an independent Sunni leader in Lebanon