Special Tribunal for Lebanon refutes Hizbullah's accusations

Ayoub Khaddaj in Beirut contributed to this report
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-07-30



				[JOSEPH FADDOUL] The International Tribunal set up to find the killers of Rafik Hariri refuted charges made by Hizbullah about its formation and indictments.

[JOSEPH FADDOUL] The International Tribunal set up to find the killers of Rafik Hariri refuted charges made by Hizbullah about its formation and indictments.

The International Tribunal set up to try the killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri refuted recent accusations by Hizbullah that political motives were behind the court's formation and indictments, which are expected to be issued in the near future.

"The experience with other international tribunals has shown that the results of the work of such institutions speak for themselves and contradict the unsubstantiated allegations of hostile interference," Fatima Issawi, spokeswoman for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, told Reuters on Thursday (July 29th).

Repeated statements by Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over the tribunal caused a political firestorm in Lebanon as supporters of Hizbullah and the March 14 forces trading heated accusations in the media.

Nasrallah said in a July 22nd speech that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri informed him that, "the expected indictment by the International Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the crime of the assassination of Rafik Hariri will accuse rogue members of Hizbullah."

Nasrallah denied any involvement by Hizbullah in the killing and issued warnings of "Lebanon entering a very critical phase from the gate of the International Tribunal."

Nasrallah cast doubts over the fairness of the work of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission, which preceded the establishment of the International Tribunal. He said the investigation "did not take all hypotheses into consideration", adding that "as long as the commission did not act on the hypothesis of Israel [being behind the assassination], it is not fair."

When asked about the nature of future indictments, Issawi said, "It would be quite unhelpful to add to the existing speculations," adding that, "The Office of the Prosecutor will issue an indictment when it is ready."

Regarding what would happen if Hizbullah or the Lebanese government refuses to hand over indicted suspects, Issawi said, "The Lebanese government is obligated to respond to the tribunal's demands, and as Hizbullah is a partner in this government, in principle it supports the court."

The UN investigation into the 2005 killing of Hariri first implicated Syrian and Lebanese officials. But following the departure of Detlev Mehlis as chief investigator, it refrained from charging any individuals.

Last year, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the tribunal's investigators found evidence linking Hizbullah to the February 14th car explosion that killed Hariri and a number of his companions in downtown Beirut.

In a statement to Al-Shorfa in April, Issawi said the tribunal's officials are aware of these media reports and the political debate in the country, but are not party to this discussion. "Their only mission is to reveal the truth about the perpetrators of the terrorist crime," she said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the issue of the tribunal set up to try his father's killers is "neither unexpected nor born in the spur of the moment", adding that "the Lebanese consensus on the necessity to achieve justice is not open to interpretation or compromise."

In response to Nasrallah's statements, Hariri said, "There are some who imagine, fear or perhaps wish that the issue of the assassination of the martyr [Prime Minister Rafik Hariri] could be cause for eruption of a Lebanese crisis or sectarian strife. We say with all sincerity, honesty and responsibility that there is no place in our national lexicon for these fears, allegations or even wishes."

Kataeb party MP Fadi al-Habr criticised those who he said "act on the premise that they have the authority and thus vie with the International Tribunal over ownership of the truth and sentencing."

Al-Habr expressed surprise regarding "the timing of the attack on the court and rejection of its decisions now, during the summer—the primary season on which the Lebanese economy relies."

Sociology professor Dr. Talal Atrisi, noting that "media leaks in the past turned out to be true", said Hizbullah became convinced that it would be implicated in the murder.

"Hizbullah is taking pre-emptive steps to dismantle the tribunal's decision and prove it is a politicised court and that its work is politically motivated," he told Al-Shorfa. "It is focusing on false witnesses and [saying] the court is looking for evidence for a ready-made indictment," he said.

MP Mustafa Alloush, a member of the Political Bureau of the Future Movement, said the fear of a possible indictment is based on either expectations or illusion. "Only those who committed the crime know the truth unless the court has compelling evidence about the identity of the perpetrators," he told Al-Shorfa.

"No one who is innocent says he expects to be indicted," he said.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was established in 2007 by UN Security Council Resolution 1757. It commenced work on March 1st, 2009.

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Reader Comments

ابو علي2010-09-18 04:04:00

This war is for the new Middle East, and it is sometimes waged by the enemies, i.e. Israel and the USA, and other times it is waged by internal enemies. However, not all your efforts will succeed and your project will not succeed. History will be the witness and the future will judge among us.

ali2010-09-18 04:02:00

Hi, I am Ali from Lebanon, the district of southern Beirut. I want to say that they killed him and participated in his funeral. A word is enough to the wise man.

علي من الجنوب وعراس السطح2010-09-13 18:03:00

I would like to say to those Jews, without entering into a useless debate, that the days of the Prophet, peace be upon him, your ancestors were Hezbollah. Hezbollah is the source of honor and pride for you and your ancestors, O mean people. Hezbollah represents the residents of southern Lebanon and it symbolizes honor in the whole world. Its youth represent the peak of respect and decency and they sacrifice their souls. This is shameful to accuse Hezbollah. Hezbollah doesn't care about any of you, and it can destroy you. You do not know Hezbollah... hahahahaha

محمد2010-09-05 06:04:00

Khaled, you should know that Hezbollah kept your head high and that of others like you in Lebanon. Why don’t they want to know the truth about the assassination of Rafic Hariri? Go and ask two of the Arab countries? Look at things logically, not in a sectarian perspection. We are all under the banner of “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

Mr.net2010-09-04 21:03:00

Hezbollah is a military party that owns the biggest intelligence agency in all of Lebanon. This was admitted by its Secretary General, which might have been a slip of the tongue… Now everybody knows who is the biggest beneficiary of the killing of Hariri. Lebanon has become an easy prey for Hezbollah politically and security-wise, since no decision can be made without approval of Sayyed Nasrullah.

لالا2010-08-22 14:04:00

Those who assassinated the Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri, knew what this man symbolizes to the Lebanese street, as this man is credited with many achievements pertaining to the development, progress, and stability of Lebanon. Certainly, this did not serve many countries. This man was patriotic and he never differentiated between Lebanese provinces or between classes. He showed all of his attention and care to all of Lebanon, and this is what made him a beloved figure whom everyone welcomed, because he worked for the national interest of Lebanon alone. We have seen since his death how Lebanon has undergone several crises, including extremely high prices and difficult living conditions, as well as the political crisis between Lebanese politicians, as they do not trust each other and they have even accused each other of loyalty to foreign countries and other parties. This was precisely the purpose behind the assassination.

مازن2010-08-22 12:03:00

Some people used to accuse Syria of being the mastermind behind this assassination, while others have exonerated Syria and accused other countries, such as Israel and Iran, of being behind this assassination. But, frankly, despite the appointment of a panel of investigators and experts in the field of investigation and fact-finding, in addition to opening a major investigation into the assassination, and interrogating senior officials in this respect, the assassination remains doubtful, foggy, and unclear.

2010-08-17 23:05:00

Lebanon is the only Arab state that enjoys real democracy in the region, although that democracy is being dominated by the heads of political parties and monopolized entities, inherited by them as if they were Arab governments, like the rest of the Arab nation. Whoever violates Uncle Sam and Israel is a terrorist, and whoever asks Uncle Sam and Israel for his rights is a terrorist, and whoever asks about the real truth is also a terrorist.

أسامة عبدالرحمن2010-08-17 16:02:00

The assassination of Lebanese President Rafic Hariri is a terrorist and criminal act, and a dirty game by some who do not want Lebanon's stability, after it has suffered ruin as a result of sectarian war. Rafic Hariri was the one who convinced all parties and urged everyone to leave arms and return to the round table convened by the Lebanese parties in Lebanon, and to make them understand one another in order to end the Lebanese crisis, which has claimed the lives of many Lebanese citizens. He was also one of the Lebanese businessmen who had both Lebanese and Saudi citizenship. He played an important role in ending the sectarian war in Lebanon. One of the most important reasons for his assassination is the outbreak of the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, forcing the Syrian army to leave Lebanon, after the Syrian army was responsible for the protection of security in the Lebanese territory. An international tribunal from the UN Security Council was to prosecute those who carried out the assassination of Rafic Hariri, and Syria endured the Lebanese anger and many accusations against Syria for assassinating Hariri. Hariri did a lot for the sake of Lebanon, and in his time the Lebanese economy flourished and he reduced taxes on the Lebanese citizens. But he was assassinated by the hand of treachery and betrayal, because they do not want Lebanon's stability. Thus, we believe that after his assassination, many problems emerged and war appeared again in Lebanon with Israel, and between Hezbollah and the Israelis, where a lot of innocent people were killed. Now, the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people must move towards their leadership, led by Saad Hariri, the son of the late Rafic Hariri, to get out of the unemployment crisis that is going on in Lebanon.

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