June 25, 2010 - Yalibnan - Lebanon, entire world will be in trouble if Hezbollah indicted, says Sayegh

Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Selim Sayegh said during an interview with New TV on Sunday that Lebanon and the entire world would be in an impasse if Hezbollah or any of its members are indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) for the 2005 assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Sayegh voiced hope that the tribunal would not find Lebanese nationals to be responsible for Rafik Hariri’s murder.

Hezbollah’s indictment will lead to divisions in Lebanon, undermine the stability of the country and threaten a reprise of the 2008 May Events, the minister said.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah revealed last Thursday that the tribunal would indict some Hezbollah members in Hariri’s murder, but warned that his party would reject such an indictment.

Nasrallah’s speech created a lot of tension in the country and reminded the Lebanese of May 2008 , when Hezbollah occupied western Beirut and tried but failed to occupy Mt Lebanon.

Sayegh , who is a Phalange party member said that his party is interested in the tribunal because two party members;former Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and former MP Antoine Ghanem—were killed in the wave of assassinations that followed Hariri’s murder.