Michel presents report on Hariri court to UN chief

Daily Star - Michel presents report on Hariri court to UN chief, May 01, 2007

By Rym Ghazal

BEIRUT: The UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel presented his "oral" report Monday to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on the international tribunal to try those behind the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others. Michel conveyed to Ban his conclusions on the controversial issue of the tribunal after his travels to Lebanon over the past month, and it is expected Ban will pass on the conclusion to the UN Security Council some time this week.
"It has not yet been scheduled when Ban will discuss Michel's report with the council," said the spokesperson.
Diplomatic sources quoted by the Central News agency said Ban would recommend that the UN Security Council not take any decision before the end of May, giving the Lebanese leaders another month to reach an agreement on the court issue.
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem criticized the UN-drafted statutes of the international tribunal. The statutes, which "are unprecedented in the history of international tribunals ... will make the general prosecutor a high commissioner not only over Lebanon but also in the entire region.
"Such a tribunal could lead to divisions in Lebanon," he warned, in an interview aired late on Sunday on Lebanon's ANB television.
"We hope the Lebanese agree among themselves" on the tribunal which has yet to be established due to deep divisions between the pro-Western government in Beirut and the Syrian-backed opposition.