« Il ne fait pas de doute que les attaques continuelles contre le Tribunal spécial pour le Liban (TSL, pour le jugement des assassins de l'ancien Premier ministre Rafic Hariri) ne sont pas utiles et ne font qu'accroître la tension, a estimé hier le député Walid Joumblatt, chef du bloc de la Rencontre démocratique. Il faut faire la distincion entre l'acte d'accusation, qui pourrait devenir un prétexte pour faire éclater la discorde au Liban, et le travail du TSL dont la création a fait l'unanimité auprès des Libanais. »
Dans sa déclaration hebdomadaire au journal al-Anba', M. Joumblatt a commenté les derniers événements qui ont secoué Bourj Abi Haïdar à Beyrouth entre des membres du Hezbollah et d'autres des Ahbache. « Les discours d'escalade de part et d'autre résulteront en une tension accrue sur le terrain et dans la rue, a-t-il souligné. Quels que soient les efforts fournis, ils ne réussiront pas à éviter la discorde et réduire la tension grandissante à tous les niveaux. »
Et d'ajouter : « L'incident de Bourj Abi Haïdar, que tout le monde s'est accordé à qualifier d'incident individuel, aurait dû servir de motivation pour raviver les canaux de communication et de rapprochement. Cet incident n'est pas sans rappeler celui qui a coûté la vie à Loutfi Zeineddine, que nous avions insisté à l'époque, ainsi que les autres forces politiques, à considérer comme un acte individuel pour éviter la discorde. Rappelons-nous comment l'armée avait alors arrêté les meurtriers en un temps record et les avait remis à la justice. L'affaire s'était arrêtée là grâce à l'éveil des forces politiques concernées. »
M. Joumblatt a estimé que la proposition d'inclure cet incident sur le menu des discussions de la table de dialogue ne ferait qu'alourdir l'ordre du jour, ce qui serait « sans intérêt ». Il a trouvé plus utile la création de comités de quartier chargés du suivi des revendications de la population, notamment dans les régions pauvres.
Joumblatt pour « une distinction entre l’acte d’accusation et le travail du TSL »
Joumblatt pour « une distinction entre l’acte d’accusation et le travail du TSL »
Un incident « individuel » a mis à feu et à sang tous les quartiers populaires de Beyrouth-Ouest, soit une bonne moitié de cette moitié de la capitale. Mais alors, qu'est-ce qui arriverait quand le procureur Daniel Bellemare aura publié son acte d'accusation dans l'assassinat du président Rafic Hariri et de ses compagnons de destin, en février 2005, ainsi que dans la série effroyable d'attentats et de meurtres qui ont suivi jusqu'en mai 2008. Les menaces de riposte explosive à l'éventuelle implication d'éléments du Hezbollah ne cessent de déferler en rafale.
D'autant plus inquiétantes que le seul bouclier possible, l'État, se montre faible sur le terrain, pour des raisons politiques, et l'avoue. Sera-t-il capable, dans les mois qui viennent, de redresser la barre et d'assumer la toute première de ses obligations, la protection des gens ? C'est-à-dire de veiller à empêcher que les réactions aux conclusions du parquet du TSL ne provoquent des troubles de rue, des affrontements confessionnels, avec risque de guerre civile généralisée ? Les groupes de toutes sortes, et les particuliers, seront-ils obligés de tenter d'assurer eux-mêmes leur sécurité ?
Il est clair que la totalité des institutions, des services et des mécanismes publics doivent être mobilisés immédiatement. Dans le cadre d'un plan coordonné, comme les pays évolués en disposent en permanence pour toutes sortes d'incidences négatives, en vue de contrôler de près les effets potentiels de l'acte d'accusation. Attendre, ce serait sûrement agir trop tard. Et alors, chacun accuserait le vis-à-vis d'avoir mis le feu aux poudres, tous s'entendant cependant pour reprocher à l'État sa passivité. Tandis que les Libanais pleureraient leurs morts, souffriraient avec leurs blessés, ou recenseraient leurs immeubles, leurs magasins et leurs biens détruits. Du fait d'éléments armés qu'encore une fois on qualifierait d'incontrôlés. Sans jamais les identifier, les arrêter et les mettre au pas. Et cette fable de trublions libres reste encore la meilleure hypothèse, car elle signifierait que le Liban ne serait pas plongé officiellement dans la guerre civile.
Le président Nabih Berry, speaker du Parlement libanais et juriste de formation, rappelle qu'il faut respecter scrupuleusement le distinguo entre l'acte d'accusation et le Tribunal international pour le Liban (TSL). Une observation importante autant que pertinente. Car l'acte d'accusation pourrait se fonder sur des éléments de preuve insuffisants, pour établir des mises en cause techniquement injustifiées. Auquel cas, et indépendamment de ce que le TSL lui-même en penserait, les membres du gouvernement libanais seraient tous d'accord pour dénoncer, et rejeter, le document en question. Il n'y aurait dans le pays ni division ni clash faisant voler en éclats la stabilité nationale. Il n'y aurait pas non plus de crise gouvernementale. Et l'on attendait le déroulement, puis l'issue du procès, seul le verdict du tribunal comptant en définitive. Alors que c'est une aberration absolue, peut-être mortelle, que de considérer un réquisitoire comme un jugement incontournable, inattaquable, surtout quand il n'est pas encore prononcé !
Tout comme il reste tout à fait absurde, autant que nocif, de condamner le TSL, de le traiter d'israélien, d'instrument de complot, à cause des velléités que l'on prête, sans en avoir du reste aucune certitude, à la commission d'enquête, et au bureau du procureur. En d'autres termes, lorsque l'homme de robe Berry assure qu'il ne faut pas faire d'amalgame entre la cour et le parquet, il dédouane le tribunal. Il le blanchit, jusqu'à preuve du contraire, suivant les bonnes règles du judiciairement correct.
En ce qui concerne l'acte d'accusation, pivot même de tout danger pour notre pays, il faut, en marge des dispositions politiques et sécuritaires de prévention, un traitement juridique adéquat. Le gouvernement doit mettre sur pied, dès à présent, une batterie d'équipes spécialisées dans les différents domaines du droit pénal terroriste, pour décortiquer l'acte d'accusation, en analyser tous les attendus et y répondre point par point. Les commentaires devraient même être préparés sans tarder, en base d'hypothèses vraisemblables sur ce que le rapport pourrait contenir.
Mais la raison peut-elle prévaloir, dans la situation actuelle ? Le Hezbollah n'est pas disposé à mettre de l'eau dans son vin. Et l'on entend son allié, l'ancien ministre Wi'am Wahhab, exiger la démission du président du Conseil, son remplacement. Plus exactement, la mise en place d'un nouveau gouvernement de transition. Parce que, selon ce prosyrien, il y a conflit d'intérêts, car Saad Hariri est le fils de la première victime dont le tribunal international examine l'assassinat, le président Rafic Hariri. En clair, il faudrait un cabinet qui neutralise, ou liquide, le TSL, et la vérité. Ce que Saad Hariri et les Libanais de bonne foi ne peuvent jamais accepter.
Mirza Hasn't Yet Received Hizbullah's Answer on Bellemare's Request
General Prosecutor Said Mirza hasn't yet received any answer from Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa on Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's request to provide the remaining material to which the Hizbullah chief referred to in his press conference on August 9.
An Nahar daily said Friday that Mirza would make the announcement in a statement upon receiving Hizbullah's answer.
"Hizbullah officials hand-delivered to the Prosecutor General of Lebanon an envelope containing six DVDs," Bellemare's office said in a press release.
"The preliminary assessment of the DVDs has determined that the response is incomplete since the material that was handed over is limited to the material shown during the 9 August 2010 press conference and does not contain "the rest of the evidence" that Mr. Hassan Nasrallah referred to in his press conference," it added.
Now Lebanon - Geagea says Beirut clashes target PM, STL - August 27, 2010
In an interview with Al-Liwaa newspaper published on Friday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said that Tuesday’s clashes in Beirut targeted Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
Clashes broke out in the Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar on Tuesday between supporters of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects—also known as Al-Ahbash—and Hezbollah, leading to the death of three people, including Hezbollah official Mohammad Fawwaz.
Al-Ahbash is a Sunni pro-Syrian group and describes itself as a charitable organization promoting Islamic culture.
“Such clashes will not succeed in intimidating Hariri or us,” Geagea said.
He called on the relevant state authorities to deal seriously with the investigations into the clashes and to reach a political agreement so as to prevent any future conflict.
The LF leader also said that he has information that his residence and the LF’s offices in Maarab are being monitored so as to possibly plan an attack on those two locations.
“The LF is dealing seriously with the information [it has obtained] before it decides on the next step it takes,” Geagea said.
August 25, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Sarkozy to reportedly reiterate France’s support of STL
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to reiterate his country’s commitment and support of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) during a speech on Wednesday, Al-Markaziya News Agency reported.
Sarkozy will also reportedly address matters related to UNIFIL, and voice the importance of having the peacekeeping troops to ensure stability in Lebanon.
An anonymous French source also told the news agency on Wednesday that none of Hezbollah, Iran, Syria or Israel have interests in triggering a regional war.
August 26, 2010 - Now Lebanon - We do not acknowledge STL, says Hezbollah source
An unnamed Hezbollah source told An-Nahar newspaper in an interview published on Thursday that his party does not acknowledge the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“We are not cooperating with STL [either],” the source said, adding that Hezbollah will only deal with the Lebanese judiciary.
The STL requested Hezbollah to submit all its material related to the Rafik Hariri murder.
On August 9, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah showed video footage and the confession of an alleged spy, which he said implicate Israel in the killing of Rafik Hariri.
Last week, Attorney General Judge Said Mirza received from Hezbollah official Wafik Safa a file containing the information requested by the STL.
-NOW Lebanon
August 26, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - Mirza adresse au Hezbollah la requête de Bellemare
Le procureur général de la Cour de cassation, Saïd Mirza, a indiqué qu'il a informé les responsables du Hezbollah que le bureau du procureur du Tribunal spécial pour le Liban, Daniel Bellemare, souhaite avoir tous les éléments de preuve en possession de son chef, Hassan Nasrallah, et dont il avait fait état dans sa conférence de presse du 3 août.
Entre-temps, le dossier du Tribunal spécial pour le Liban (TSL) et l'acte d'accusation que le juge Bellemare doit publier au terme de son enquête continuent de faire couler beaucoup d'encre. Coupant court aux spéculations à ce sujet, le député Élie Marouni a assuré dans une interview au site Internet d'informations nowlebanon que personne ne connaît la date de parution ou le contenu de l'acte d'accusation. Il a insisté sur le fait que la majorité n'acceptera pas un acte d'accusation qui ne serait pas fondé sur des preuves convaincantes « parce qu'elle est déterminée à connaître la vérité ».
M. Marouni s'est aussi dit étonné de la campagne contre les faux témoins. « Si nous ignorons le contenu de l'acte d'accusation, comment
pouvons-nous savoir s'il existe ou non de faux témoins ? » s'est-il interrogé.
Mais le Hezbollah reste persuadé que les faux témoins existent. Par la bouche du ministre de l'Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hassan, il a estimé que la « Résistance » (le Hezbollah) fait l'objet d'un complot auquel des parties locales se seraient associées. « Nous sommes pour le calme et la stabilité au Liban, mais pas au prix d'accusations portées contre la Résistance », a-t-il dit.
August 25, 2010 - Now Lebanon - STL indictment in the hands of the US, Jumblatt says
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt told Al-Manar television on Tuesday the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is in the hands of the US.
He also voiced the importance of staying patient until the STL issues its pending indictment, warning against dragging the country into sectarian strife.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in July accused the STL of being an Israeli project designed to target the Resistance by implicating some of his party’s members in the Rafik Hariri murder.
August 25, 2010 - Now Lebanon - As-Sharq al-Awsat: Indicting Hezbollah members threatens Lebanon
As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted a Hezbollah source on Wednesday as saying that a Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment accusing Hezbollah of being involved in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik threatens not only the cabinet, but the entire country.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in July that the STL is an Israeli project designed to target Hezbollah by stirring up sectarian strife in Lebanon.
The daily added that Hezbollah is not discussing the possibility of its ministers resigning from the cabinet.
August 24, 2010 - ILoubnan - Hezbollah data on Hariri murder 'incomplete': UN
The UN tribunal probing the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri said on Tuesday evidence Hezbollah provided allegedly implicating Israel was incomplete and called for the remaining material to be submitted "without delay."
Earlier this month, the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) requested Lebanese authorities submit all material related to the murder in the possession of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah after the Shiite leader unveiled "evidence" his arch-foe Israel played a role in the assassination. "The preliminary assessment of the DVDs has determined that the response is incomplete since the material that was handed over is limited to the material shown during the August 9, 2010 press conference and does not contain 'the rest of the evidence' that Mr Hassan Nasrallah referred to in his press conference," a statement released by STL prosecutor's office said, without saying what evidence was missing.
"The information received will be thoroughly assessed. This can properly be done only if it is based on a complete record," it added. "This is why the office of the prosecutor has requested the Lebanese authorities to provide the remaining material ... without delay." The statement said STL prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's Beirut office received six DVDs in an envelope from Hezbollah through the Lebanese prosecutor general's office on August 17.
Nasrallah has claimed Israel was behind the 2005 Beirut bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others.
On August 9, he produced several undated clips of aerial views of various areas in Lebanon that he alleged were intercepted from unmanned Israeli surveillance drones. The clips included footage of the site of the Hariri assassination, shot several years before the murder.
Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which fought a deadly 2006 war with Israel, is facing increasing pressure as rumours abound that the tribunal is set to accuse several of its members. Nasrallah has warned against implicating Hezbollah in the assassination, labeling the STL an "Israeli project."
The Hariri murder triggered an international outcry and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005 after a deployment of almost three decades. The killing has been widely blamed on Syria, but Damascus has consistently denied involvement.
The Hague-based tribunal was set up by a UN Security Council resolution in 2007 to find and try suspects in the assassination. There are currently no suspects in custody.
August 25, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - SL : le Courant du futur inflexible
Dans les rangs du Courant du futur, on continue à se montrer inflexible au sujet des attaques contre le TSL, même si l'on se refuse à élever le ton, en harmonie avec les directives du Premier ministre Saad Hariri.
Ainsi, le député Ahmad Fatfat, considéré comme l'un des principaux faucons du Courant du futur, a affirmé hier que cette formation et le 14 Mars dans son ensemble sont « attachés » à la pacification politique et que celle-ci a « réellement commencé au cours des dernières vingt-quatre heures ».
Sur le fond, M. Fatfat a estimé qu'il « n'existe pas » jusqu'ici de dossier des faux témoins. « Nous avons besoin, pour le moins, de documents prouvant que l'un d'entre eux a donné des renseignements graves ayant pu influer sur le cours de l'enquête », a-t-il fait valoir. « Or l'acte d'accusation n'a pas encore paru pour que, d'une part, on prenne connaissance des documents et, de l'autre, pour savoir si les individus accusés sont réellement de faux témoins ou s'ils ont dit une partie de la vérité ou encore s'ils sont partie prenante au crime », a-t-il dit.
Le même point de vue est défendu par le ministre d'État Jean Oghassabian, qui a fait valoir que jusqu'à cet instant, aucun juge n'a engagé des poursuites contre un individu accusé d'être un faux témoin et que par conséquent, le dossier des faux témoins est inexistant.
Il a rappelé à cet égard que « la justice libanaise poursuit Mohammad Zouheir el-Siddik pour sa participation présumée au meurtre (de Rafic Hariri), pas en tant que faux témoin ».
Plus généralement, le ministre de l'Éducation, Hassan Mneimné, a souligné « l'impossibilité pour n'importe quel État ou partie d'intervenir dans la teneur de l'acte d'accusation et de l'incapacité de quiconque de pouvoir introduire des modifications dans cette teneur ».
De son côté, « le député Jamal Jarrah a fait valoir que c'est la remise en question du TSL qui mènerait à la guerre civile et non pas l'acte d'accusation dont personne ne connaît la teneur ».
« Nul n'est en mesure de stopper l'action du TSL et d'empêcher que la vérité ne soit connue », a-t-il insisté.
Toujours dans les rangs du courant haririen, le député Mohammad Hajjar a souligné la nécessité d'« un accord sur le fait que personne ne sera en mesure de faire front à l'acte d'accusation ».
« Il faut prendre en compte toutes les hypothèses, mais en premier lieu, nous devons mettre un terme aux campagnes continues contre le TSL », a-t-il souligné.
Enfin, l'ancien député Moustapha Allouche a mis en doute les informations de presse selon lesquelles l'Arabie saoudite n'aurait pas été en mesure d'influer sur certaines parties occidentales influentes en ce qui concerne l'acte d'accusation. « Il s'agit de spéculations fondées sur des analyses et non sur des faits et je ne sais pas si l'Arabie saoudite a réellement l'intention qu'on lui prête à ce sujet », a-t-il dit.
Tenant le même discours que le Courant du futur, le député Kataëb Élie Marouni a estimé que le danger qui menacerait réellement le Liban réside dans la non-parution de l'acte d'accusation, et non le contraire.
De l'autre côté de l'échiquier politique, des députés du Bloc du changement et de la réforme ont suivi hier les pas de leur chef, le général Michel Aoun, dans le sens d'une remise en question de la crédibilité du TSL.
C'est le cas d'Alain Aoun qui, tout en affirmant que personne ne cherche à fuir la vérité et la justice, il est nécessaire de rectifier le cours du TSL par le biais du règlement du dossier des faux témoins.
Quant à son collègue Simon Abiramia, il a fait valoir que le Liban « vit actuellement une crise concernant la crédibilité du TSL », laquelle est devenue « douteuse », selon lui.
August 25, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - Bellemare juge incomplètes les données du Hezbollah et réclame les éléments manquants
TSL Le bureau du procureur du Tribunal spécial pour le Liban a jugé que les élements de preuve qui lui ont été remis par le Hezbollah sont incomplets.
Le bureau du juge Daniel Bellemare, procureur du Tribunal spécial sur le Liban, a publié hier un communiqué dans lequel il explique que les preuves qui lui ont été fournies par le Hezbollah, à travers le parquet de Beyrouth, sont incomplètes, et qu'il a besoin des éléments manquants mentionnés par le secrétaire général du Hezbollah, lors de sa conférence de presse du 10 août. Indirectement, il a balayé les spéculations faites au Liban sur la date de publication de l'acte d'accusation dans l'affaire Hariri, affirmant qu'il lui appartient de la fixer lorsqu'il sera persuadé, au vu de tous les éléments, que ledit acte repose sur des preuves solides et convaincantes.
« À la suite d'une conférence de presse tenue le 9 août 2010 par le secrétaire général du Hezbollah, le bureau du procureur a demandé aux autorités libanaises de lui transmettre l'ensemble des informations et éléments de preuve en la possession du secrétaire général ou auxquels il a accès. Cette demande visait expressément les enregistrements vidéo projetés lors de la conférence de presse ainsi que tout autre élément qui aiderait le bureau du procureur à établir la vérité », indique le texte, rappelant qu'en réponse à cette demande, le 17 août 2010, des représentants du Hezbollah ont remis « en mains propres » au procureur général près la Cour de cassation (le juge Saïd Mirza) une enveloppe renfermant six DVD. « Ces DVD ont été transmis au bureau du procureur le même jour. »
« Le bureau du procureur a commencé l'analyse de ces pièces. L'examen préliminaire des DVD a permis d'établir que la réponse était incomplète puisque les éléments qui ont été remis ne sont autres que les enregistrements projetés lors de la conférence de presse du 9 août 2010, lesquels ne contiennent pas le "reste des preuves" évoqué par M. Hassan Nasrallah à l'occasion de celle-ci », souligne le communiqué.
Et de préciser : « Les informations reçues feront l'objet d'un examen minutieux, qui ne peut être dûment mené que sur la base de données complètes. C'est pourquoi le bureau du procureur a demandé aux autorités libanaises de lui transmettre sans tarder les éléments manquants mentionnés par le secrétaire général du Hezbollah lors de la conférence de presse qu'il a tenue le 9 août. »
« Dans l'intervalle, ajoute le texte, le bureau du procureur poursuit son enquête avec diligence, dans le respect des normes les plus élevées de la justice internationale. Le procureur décidera contre quelles personnes et à quel moment il présentera un acte d'accusation au juge de la mise en état aux fins de sa confirmation. Toutefois, aucun acte d'accusation ne sera soumis tant que le procureur ne sera pas persuadé, au vu de tous les éléments, que ledit acte repose sur des preuves solides et convaincantes. »
August 25, 2010 - Naharnet - Bellemare's Office Requests 'Additional Information and Evidence Held' by Nasrallah, Says Recent Response 'Incomplete'
The Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon announced Tuesday that it has requested the Lebanese authorities to provide "additional information and evidence held by the Secretary General of Hizbullah" Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
"In response to the request of the Office of the Prosecutor, on 17 August 2010, Hizbullah officials hand-delivered to the Prosecutor General of Lebanon an envelope containing six DVDs. This material was handed over to the Office of the Prosecutor on the same day," a communiqué issued by STL's press office said.
"The Office of the Prosecutor has begun its review of the material. The preliminary assessment of the DVDs has determined that the response is incomplete since the material that was handed over is limited to the material shown during the 9 August 2010 press conference and does not contain 'the rest of the evidence' that (Sayyed) Hassan Nasrallah referred to in his press conference," the communiqué added.
The OTP said that the information received "will be thoroughly assessed," adding that "this can properly be done only if it is based on a complete record."
On the other hand, the communiqué went on to say that "the Office of the Prosecutor is continuing its investigation with diligence and applying the highest standards of international justice."
"The Prosecutor will determine when and against whom an indictment will be submitted to the Pre-Trial Judge for confirmation. However, no indictment will be issued until the Prosecutor is satisfied that, in light of all the circumstances, it is based on solid and convincing evidence," added the communiqué
August 25, 2010 - Naharnet - Paris Denies Sarkozy Comments on STL Decision
France has denied comments attributed to President Nicolas Sarkozy that the decision of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon lies in the hands of the U.S.
Media sources in Paris quoted French officials as saying that Sarkozy stressed that the STL is "independent" and that "no one can pressure it (court) toward postponing the issuance of the charge sheet because all the elements associated with this resolution are not in the hands of France nor America nor the States funding the tribunal."
France on Tuesday was said to have informed Saudi Arabia that a solution to the STL indictment lies in Washington's hands.
As Safir daily said Tuesday that Saudi King Abdullah sent Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
It said Muqrin carried with him a royal message asking Paris to use its influence to find a settlement to the indictment issue.
French authorities, according to As-Safir, informed the envoy that the court decision lies in the hands of the U.S.
It said Saudi envoys have visited the U.S. for the same purpose.
August 25, 2010 - Naharnet - Jumblat: STL Decision in U.S. Hands
Druze leader Walid Jumblat said Washington is behind a decision to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicting people in the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hari.
"This phase requires a wait-and-see strategy," Jumblat said in remarks published by several Beirut dailies on Wednesday.
"The decision of the International Tribunal, however, is in the hands of the Americans as French President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted as telling a senior Arab official," Jumblat added.
Jumblat warned against dragging the country into civil strife.
France was said to have informed Saudi Arabia that a solution to the STL indictment lies in Washington's hands.
As Safir daily said Tuesday that Saudi King Abdullah sent Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
It said Muqrin carried with him a royal message asking Paris to use its influence to find a settlement to the indictment issue.
French authorities, according to As-Safir, informed the envoy that the court decision lies in the hands of the U.S.
It said Saudi envoys have visited the U.S. for the same purpose.
August 24, 2010 - Naharnet - Hizbullah Sources: STL Not Satisfied with Just indicting Nasrallah
The Kuwaiti Al-Rai said Monday that a report published by the newspaper from Washington under the headline "The story is bigger than Badreddine" received great attention from Hizbullah which thoroughly examined the details given that it shed light on developments related to the international tribunal and the indictment.
Al-Rai quoted sources close to Hizbullah as saying that the Shiite group is "certain that the steps to be taken by the international community will not only be restricted to fabricating an indictment accusing Imad Mughniyeh and Mustafa Badreddine, but it will even go beyond accusing Nasrallah to charge Iranian officials linked to supporting Resistance activity in the region."
The sources believed that such indictments were aimed at "tarnishing the Resistance image and isolating it."
They are also designed to keep up sanctions against Iran "through showing its involvement in the killing of a Sunni leader, and, consequently, incite Gulf States to join the decision to punish Iran and wage war against it," the sources added.
August 24, 2010 - Naharnet - Report: Paris Informed Riyadh that Tribunal Solution Lies in U.S.
Paris has reportedly informed Saudi Arabia that a solution to the indictment that would be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon lies in the U.S.
As Safir daily said Tuesday that Saudi King Abdullah sent Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Muqrin carried with him a royal message asking Paris to use its influence to find a solution to the indictment issue, As Safir said.
However, the newspaper reported that French authorities informed the envoy that the decision to find such a solution lied in Washington.
Saudi envoys have visited the U.S. for the same purpose, As Safir said.
It quoted a high-ranking Lebanese source as saying that Abdullah was making efforts to consolidate stability in Lebanon and stressed that civil strife was a red line.
August 24, 2010 - Naharnet - Indictment in Hariri Murder to be Issued in December, European President
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will issue indictment in the case of former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder in December, according to a European head of state.
An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday quoted the unnamed European President as saying that he has obtained information that the charge sheet for those involved in Hariri's assassination will be issued in December.
"There is plenty of time to take a position on that (STL) resolution, which my country along with other major countries will support," the head of state told An-Nahar, denying any knowledge as to who the charge sheet will name.
August 24, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Ad-Diyar: Nasrallah’s Tuesday address will be calm
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Tuesday speech will be calm in matters related to domestic developments, Ad-Diyar newspaper reported.
“Nasrallah will address the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)’s [pending] indictment,” the daily said.
Nasrallah is expected to make an address during a Tuesday sundown Iftar feast.
The Hezbollah chief made a last public appearance on August 9, during which he showed video footage and the confession of an alleged spy, which he said implicate Israel in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The daily also said that Sunday’s meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Nasrallah’s aide, Hussein Khalil, was positive.
“No possible Hariri-Nasrallah meeting was confirmed,” the daily said, adding that “the current [domestic] mood does not allow the two men to meet.”
August 24, 2010 - Now Lebanon - An-Nahar: European head of state says STL to issue indictment in December
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday that the head of state of an unnamed European country has information that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) pending indictment will be issued in December.
According to the daily, the European head of state hoped no negative reactions would be generated from any party after the indictment is issued.
He also said that his country will support the STL’s indictment when it is issued, adding that he is not aware about the its content.
Tension is high in Lebanon after reports said that the STL will soon issue its indictment in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah recently claimed his party members would be named in the tribunal’s pending indictment.
On August 9, Nasrallah showed video footage and the confession of an alleged spy, which he said, implicate Israel in the Rafik Hariri murder.
August 24, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Al-Balad: March 8 launches smear campaign against Najjar
An anonymous source from the March 14 alliance told Al-Balad newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday that the March 8 alliance ministers are launching a smear campaign against Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar in matters related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) false witnesses.
The cabinet delegated Najjar during its meeting last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the STL.
“They [the March 8 alliance] say that Najjar is the minister of the Lebanese Forces and not of justice,” the source said, adding that the campaign was being carried out to pressure Najjar into submitting to the cabinet a report on false witnesses against his own conviction.
August 24, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Alain Aoun warns of STL indictment’s influence on cabinet
Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun told OTV on Tuesday that changing the cabinet will not happen, however, he warned that the cabinet could be affected by divisions over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) pending indictment.
He also said that the “STL should correct its path by resolving the issue of false witnesses.”
The cabinet delegated Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar during a meeting last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the STL, which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah earlier this month said he doubted the tribunal’s credibility and called for forming a Lebanese commission to investigate alleged false witnesses used in the STL’s investigation into the Rafik Hariri murder.
August 24, 2010 - ILoubnan - Hussein: "Assassination of Rafic Hariri will not lead to internal crisis
State Minister Adnan Hussein told Orient radio station on Tuesday that "the assassination of late Rafic Hariri will not lead to any internal crisis."
"Lebanon has an internal immunity which was emphasized by the tripartite summit held at Baabda palace", he said, noting that "we as Lebanese are still feeling this summit's positive outcomes."
"We should not allow any strife to flare up in Lebanon or in any other Arab or Islamic country", Sayyed Hussein added.
Mr. Hussein also tackled the STL issue saying that the government is following up all related affairs through Justice Minister, Ibrahim Najjar, who is still studying some witnesses' testimonies.
"Lebanese media must try to boost people's unity and strengthen Sunnite-Shiite ties", the Minister said, praising the latest statements issued by PM Saad Hariri and Hezbollah in reducing the political gap between the different poles in Lebanon.
Separately, Minister Hussein justified the people's grudge regarding electricity outage issue; however, he criticized the street violence acts which took place these past few days, calling for solving this crisis immediately and effectively.
August 24, 2010 - Daily Star - Nasrallah speech expected to tackle STL, false witnesses
BEIRUT: The content and tone of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech scheduled for Tuesday remained a mystery on Monday.
It was still unknown whether Nasrallah would tackle the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and add to evidence he revealed on August 3 pointing at Israel’s possible involvement in the crime.
Sources close to Hizbullah told the Central News Agency (CNA) that Tuesday’s address is expected to tackle the government’s decision to follow up on the issue of false witnesses. In its latest session, the Cabinet asked Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar to investigate the issue.
Nasrallah will also speak on Thursday and on the International Al-Quds Day, which falls on the last Friday of Ramadan.
The sources told the CNA that Nasrallah’s speech to mark the latter will focus on “heavy” political issues.
A well-informed judicial source told The Daily Star on Sunday that evidence provided by Hizbullah regarding Hariri’s assassination would delay an impending indictment by the UN-backed tribunal investigating the murder.
During a news conference Nasrallah screened video clips of alleged Israeli drone surveillance footage intercepted by Hizbullah that showed routes Hariri used to frequent, including the area where he was killed on February 14, 2005.
Nasrallah also aired the confessions of an Israeli agent who said he had been tasked by Israel to convince Hariri’s security personnel that Hizbullah was intending to assassinate Hariri.
Following a request by STL prosecutor Daniel Bellemare for the disclosed evidence, Hizbullah refused to hand over the data directly, saying it had no faith in the Tribunal.
But Hizbullah submitted last week the evidence to State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who in turn supplied Bellemare’s office in Beirut with the requested data.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary majority blasted on Monday the campaign against Najjar, saying the minority wanted to pressure the justice minister into issuing a report that ran contrary to his convictions.
As-Safir newspaper on Monday quoted a senior Hizbullah official as saying that “Hizbullah, just like many others, have a lot of question marks after Lebanese Forces Minister Ibrahim Najjar was tasked with following up on the issue of false witnesses.”
Also, Hizbullah politburo member Mahmoud Qomati told OTV on Monday that the STL had lost its credibility, adding that his party was no longer interested with its pending indictment.
Also commenting on the issue of the STL, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP Walid Jumblatt called for taking “maximum” advantage of the Syrian-Saudi entente in order to prevent civil strife in Lebanon.
In his weekly editorial in PSP’s Al-Anbaa newspaper, Jumblatt said strife in Lebanon could also be avoided by making a clear difference between the STL and the indictment.
He said such a differentiation would safeguard the tribunal against politicization and manipulation.
Former head of General Security Jamil al-Sayyed, who was detained for alleged involvement in Hariri’s assassination said on Monday the murder of the former prime minister had been designed to implicate Syria and ignite Lebanon.
Sayyed was freed in April 2009 after spending nearly four years in jail along with three other generals after the STL ordered their release on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to indict them for Hariri’s assassination. – The Daily Star
August 24, 2010 - Daily Star - Hariri warns rhetoric against STL will not halt 'course of justice'
Premier refuses to get dragged into domestic disputes
By Elias Sakr
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Monday that provocative rhetoric aimed against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) investigating his father’s murder would not halt the course of justice.
“Statements will not abolish the truth and regardless of the extent of provocative rhetoric and threats, the course of justice will not stop,” he said during an iftar at his Qoreitem residence.
“When we examine the magnitude of campaigns that were launched against the STL and the number of media talk shows and programs as well as speeches being made, we almost think that [Rafik Hariri’s]’s case is over but the truth is that the case still lives … like it was yesterday,” Hariri added.
Hizbullah officials and the party’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have dismissed the STL as an Israeli project and stress their refusal to cooperate with the UN-backed court.
Tensions over the UN probe rose following Western reports that the STL’s indictment would accuse rogue Hizbullah members of involvement in former Premier Rafik Hariri’s murder.
However, Hariri reiterated that he would not get involved in domestic debates over the STL with any party as he called on his political foes to commit to a calm rhetoric.
“I will continue to insist that regardless of the high pitched rhetoric aimed against this home or martyr Premier Rafik Hariri or former Premier Fouad Siniora or the STL, I will not be dragged to any dispute with any individual over these issues,” Hariri said, adding that the “provocative and threatening rhetoric” that had been adopted since 2005 failed to resolve disputed issues which were only solved through dialogue.
“For weeks, we have been stressing the need to commit to calm and to stop resorting to misinformation but unfortunately our calls were not heeded,” Hariri said.
The premier added that political bickering would prevent the Cabinet from addressing the Lebanese people basic needs and from implementing reforms to the country’s infrastructure including the water, electricity and transportation sectors.
On Sunday, Hariri held separate talks with Nasrallah’s political aide Hussein Khalil and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt.
Commenting on his talks with Hariri, Jumblatt said the meeting was “positive and excellent” and stressed the premier’s emphasis on dialogue to preserve political calm in line with the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement.
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz and Syrian President Bashar Assad held a tripartite summit with President Michel Sleiman during a visit to Lebanon last month aimed at easing mounting tensions over the STL.
On another note, Hariri headed a meeting of the Future Movement’s politburo Monday during which administrative appointments were made to the movement’s regional branches as well as its different educational, industrial, economic and sports sectors.
August 24, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - Joumblatt : Il faut cesser les provocations basées sur les spéculations portant sur l’acte d’accusation
Dans son article hebdomadaire dans l'organe du PSP al-Anba', Walid Joumblatt a estimé qu'Israël a atteint l'objectif qu'il a recherché au cours des derniers mois en obtenant la reprise des négociations directes avec les Palestiniens. Tout cela à cause de la division et de l'effritement arabes. Selon Joumblatt, Israël tentera à travers ces négociations d'imposer le principe de la judaïsation de l'État d'Israël, avec ce que cela implique pour les Arabes de 1948, qui seront ainsi envoyés vers la Jordanie, à l'instar d'une grande partie des Palestiniens de Cisjordanie. De la sorte, Israël sera revenu à son option première d'installer l'État palestinien à l'est de la Jordanie.
Toujours selon Joumblatt, ce projet aura des conséquences catastrophiques pour la cause palestinienne et pour le droit au retour des Palestiniens sur leur territoire. Tout comme il détruira l'idée de faire de Jérusalem la capitale de l'État palestinien. Ce projet mettra aussi en cause la stabilité de la Jordanie, son unité et son intégrité territoriale, ainsi que sa composition politique. Tout comme il balaiera des années de lutte en faveur de la cause palestinienne et aboutira en fin de compte à l'implantation des réfugiés palestiniens au Liban.
Joumblatt s'est encore adressé à ceux qui croient encore qu'il existe une politique américaine pour la région, indépendante des intérêts israéliens, pour leur dire qu'il s'agit d'une pure illusion. Selon lui, les États-Unis collent aux intérêts israéliens, et cela a été le cas avant même la conclusion de l'accord de Camp David. Et maintenant, ils comptent faciliter la reconnaissance d'Israël comme État juif. Cette orientation est en fait conforme à l'idée que l'Occident a des Arabes, et des musulmans en général, les considérant comme des terroristes. C'est cette vision orientaliste et colonialiste chez l'Occident qui a donné la Palestine aux juifs, dans le cadre de l'accord de Balfour et qui a partagé le monde arabe selon l'accord de Sykes-Picot. Ce même Occident est aujourd'hui prêt à déchirer de nouveau la région pour servir les intérêts d'Israël.
C'est pourquoi, poursuit Joumblatt, nous (et le monde arabe en général) devons absolument profiter de l'axe saoudo-syrien pour étouffer le feu de la discorde au Liban en distinguant entre l'acte d'accusation et sa portée destructrice et le TSL qui doit rester loin de toute manipulation et de toute politisation.
Pour Joumblatt, cela suffit de lancer des provocations à travers les spéculations sur l'acte d'accusation. Il faut laisser le principal concerné, qui est aussi soucieux de la justice et de la stabilité, traiter cette question pour maintenir le tribunal hors des considérations politiques.
Joumblatt est revenu sur « les propos qui ne finissent pas et qui portent sur les armes de la résistance ». Selon lui, ces propos suscitent des interrogations car il est important, à ses yeux, de profiter de ces armes, qu'elles viennent d'Iran, de Syrie ou des deux, et en même temps, il faut équiper l'armée pour permettre à la complémentarité entre la résistance et l'armée, qui s'est concrétisée à Adaïssé, d'atteindre ses plus hauts niveaux. Les voix qui mettent aujourd'hui en doute les armes de la résistance sont historiquement suspectes. Elles avaient alors rejeté les armes des Palestiniens et tenté d'imposer à l'armée une idéologie contraire à la situation en refusant de définir l'ennemi et en entraînant le pays vers des catastrophes. Elles refusent aujourd'hui les armes de la résistance. Tout en tenant compte des susceptibilités et des erreurs communes qui avaient abouti au 7 mai, nous devons sortir tous des considérations étroites et réaliser que toutes les expériences du passé ont montré qu'en période de guerre ou de paix, la concomitance des volets est toujours plus bénéfique que la division.
Joumblatt a encore demandé à ceux qui chantent « le Liban vert » de profiter de cette période de canicule et de sécheresse pour songer réellement à construire des barrages et des lacs artificiels, pour que les forêts de cèdres ne se transforment pas en bûches et que les vallées d'Adonis ne deviennent pas des refuges pour les serpents. Enfin, Joumblatt a invité les pays arabes incapables de s'entendre à rejeter les négociations directes avec Israël, à utiliser leur argent pour reconstruire le tiers-monde, au lieu d'acheter des armes, des actions en Bourse et des bons du Trésor...
August 24, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - Hariri : Rien ne pourra arrêter la marche de la justice
« Vous n'avez pas hésité un moment à défendre la cause du président martyr Rafic Hariri, malgré les campagnes dont cette dernière a été la cible durant les cinq dernières années. Lorsque nous passons en revue ces campagnes et l'ampleur des propos qui ont été tenus au sujet du Tribunal international, lorsque nous passons en revue l'ampleur des programmes et des entretiens réalisés, des discours prononcés..., l'on s'imaginerait que cette cause est finie... Or elle est toujours bien vivante dans les cœurs des Libanais et des habitants de Beyrouth en particulier, comme si tout cela datait d'hier, et qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'un crime commis il y a cinq ans. Les propos n'annuleront pas la vérité. Quelles que soient l'ampleur et la dureté des mots, quelles que soient les provocations et les menaces utilisées, rien ne pourra arrêter la marche de la justice. » C'est par ces mots que le Premier ministre Rafic Hariri s'est adressé hier soir aux habitants de Beyrouth au cours de son iftar à Koraytem, en présence, notamment, fait symbolique, de l'ancienne députée Solange Bachir Gemayel.
« Je suis persuadé que la majorité écrasante des Libanais est concernée par la protection de la justice et par la recherche de la vérité », a-t-il dit, déplorant le fait que nul n'ait tenu compte de son appel à mettre fin aux provocations et aux tentatives de jeter de la poudre aux yeux du monde entier. « Certains cercles et certaines plumes font tout pour escamoter l'opportunité offerte de calmer le jeu et de privilégier le dialogue. (...) Mais quels que soient le ton des voix et le degré des campagnes qui cibleront cette maison, Rafic Hariri, Fouad Siniora ou le Tribunal, je n'entrerai pas dans les polémiques », a-t-il ajouté, appelant l'autre camp à faire son autocritique et à se demander si les campagnes de trahison et les menaces ont été bénéfiques pour le pays durant les cinq dernières années.
Il a enfin salué Solange Gemayel, à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de l'élection de Bachir Gemayel à la présidence, le 23 août 1982, ainsi que le parti Kataëb « dont beaucoup sont tombés en martyrs, notamment Pierre Amine Gemayel, mon ami et mon frère ».
August 24, 2010 - L'Orient le jour - N. Gemayel : Pas de compromis sur le TSL, nous sommes un peuple qui ne veut pas oublier
Dans son intervention à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de l'élection de son père à la présidence de la République, le député Nadim Gemayel a affirmé qu'aucun compromis sur la question du Tribunal spécial pour le Liban ne serait acceptable, soulignant que l'abolition du tribunal signifierait la fin du Liban. Et d'accuser les détracteurs du TSL de chercher à perpétuer l'équation de l'impunité dans ce pays.
« Par cette célébration tardive, et même très tardive, nous avons voulu remémorer nos victoires, pas seulement nous plaindre de nos tragédies. Mais c'est aussi une occasion pour réfléchir et nous poser la question de savoir pourquoi il ne reste plus de nos victoires que le souvenir et pourquoi les nouvelles générations doivent encore payer les prix qu'avaient déjà payés leurs pères et leurs aïeux », a souligné d'emblée Nadim Gemayel.
« Je veux revenir à l'image de Bachir levant son verre et disant : "Nous tiendrons bon". Avec tout ce qui se passe aujourd'hui, il semble que nous n'avons pas l'intention de tenir bon », a-t-il relevé.
« Nous ne pouvons pas tenir lorsque Habib Chartouni, le meurtrier de Bachir, est arrêté et que personne ne le juge. Nous ne pouvons pas tenir lorsque la rue chrétienne, qui a toujours été résistante, est détruite par des guerres absurdes. Nous ne tiendrons pas lorsque, tout comme la victoire du 23 août (1982) a été dilapidée, nous faisons aujourd'hui en sorte de dilapider les acquis de la révolution du Cèdre, le rêve du 14 mars (2005) et notre victoire aux élections du 7 juin (2009). »
« Nous ne tiendrons pas lorsque nous acceptons que la détention des armes soit partagée entre deux parties, que l'État soit à deux têtes et que le front obéisse à un double commandement », a martelé Nadim Gemayel.
« Nous ne tiendrons pas lorsque se produit un incident comme celui de Adaïssé et que nous perdons trois hommes pour qu'un arbre ne soit pas abattu et qu'il l'est le lendemain, sans que personne ne dise aux citoyens libanais laquelle des deux postures est la bonne, celle du premier jour ou celle du second », a encore lancé le député de Beyrouth.
Et d'ajouter : « Nous ne tiendrons pas quand la main qui a tué Bachir échappe à la justice et qu'elle tue ensuite René Moawad puis Rafic Hariri et tous les martyrs de la révolution du Cèdre sans que personne ne demande des comptes. Ces gens-là se sont habitués à l'idée de l'impunité : nous tuons des présidents et personne ne fait rien. »
« Aujourd'hui, sincèrement, ce qu'on tente de nous imposer, c'est le marché suivant : laissons tomber le tribunal, nous reviendrons comme cela à l'ancienne méthode : tue et va ton chemin, la justice est inexistante et le peuple oublie, a-t-il souligné. Mais aujourd'hui, nous disons que nous sommes un peuple qui ne veut pas oublier. »
Et d'ajouter : « Le TSL ne concerne pas seulement Saad Hariri et sa famille, ni Amine Gemayel et sa famille, ni les familles Tuéni, Haoui, Kassir, Eido, Hajj, Eid, Murr, Chidiac, Hamadé, Ghanem, Fleyhane et les autres. Le TSL ne concerne pas les sunnites, ni les maronites, ni les grecs-orthodoxes, ni les druzes, ni les chiites. Le TSL nous concerne à tous, à chacun et chacune de nous qui aspire à un État de droit où règne la justice. Il concerne ceux qui ont été assassinés et ceux dont le tour viendra si la justice n'est pas rendue. »
« Nous disons à ceux qui s'opposent au TSL : le tribunal vous protège comme il nous protège. Sans lui, le crime politique est légitimé au Liban. Des chefs d'État et de gouvernement, des ministres, des députés, des hommes de religion et des citoyens ont été assassinés et il y en a encore qui disent non au tribunal », a-t-il déploré.
« Nous sommes ceux qui rejettent une politisation du tribunal. Mais ceux qui ne veulent pas du tribunal cherchent à politiser le meurtre », a-t-il estimé.
« Cette question est trop importante pour que nous acceptions le moindre compromis. Même si Saad Hariri accepte, ce qu'il ne fera pas, et même si Amine Gemayel accepte, ce qui est également peu probable, et même si Walid Joumblatt pardonne et oublie ou feint d'oublier. Car l'abolition du TSL signifierait le début de l'élimination du Liban », a-t-il fait valoir.
M. Gemayel a conclu en rendant hommage à la mémoire de l'ancien président de la Chambre Kamel el-Assaad, récemment décédé, dont le rôle avait été décisif en 1982 pour l'élection de Bachir Gemayel à la présidence de la République.
August 23, 2010 - Naharnet - A Lot of Question Marks after Najjar Assigned to False Witnesses Case, Hizbullah Official
A senior Hizbullah official said the Shiite group was not surprised by Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's request to obtain information in Hizbullah's possession allegedly implicating Israel in the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.
Regarding the issue of false witnesses, As-Safir newspaper on Monday quoted the official as saying that "Hizbullah, just like many others, have a lot of question marks after Lebanese Forces Minister Ibrahim Najjar was assigned to the case."
August 23, 2010 - Assafir - STL , Hariri the course of justice will not stop.doc
سياسة
تاريخ العدد 23/08/2010 العدد 11673
«سيتم تخصيص مبالغ كبيرة لتسليح الجيش في الموازنة المقبلة»
الحريري: مسار العدالة لن يتوقف... والاستقرار مسؤولية الجميع
أكد رئيس الحكومة سعد الحريري أن «الالتزام بقضية العدالة والحقيقة مسؤولية وطنية لا يصح التنازل عنها او التفريط بها مهما كانت الدواعي والاسباب».
وقال، خلال مأدبة افطار أقامها أمس على شرف فاعليات وعائلات من البقاع الشمالي وحضرها النائب عقاب صقر ومفتي بعلبك الهرمل الشيخ خالد الصلح والمطران الياس رحال وسفيرا كوبا وكولومبيا: فليطمئن من يحتاج الى الاطمئنان بان مسار العدالة لن يتوقف، وان كل ما يمكن ان يساعد هذا المسار على التقدم سيكون محل ترحيبنا وتقديرنا.
واعتبر أن كثرة الكلام في موضوع المحكمة لن تقدم ولن تؤخر في شيء، وان التهدئة هي افضل الطرق لمقاربة الامور، مشيراً إلى «أننا على أبواب مستجدات إقليمية عديدة والحكمة تستدعي تحكيم العقل والمنطق وعدم الذهاب بعيدا في الكلام العالي». وأكد أن الاستقرار مسؤولية الجميع والتهدئة هي الباب الذي يوفر عوامل الاستقرار ويضع حدا للتشنج.
وفي موضوع الكهرباء، أكد أن «المشكلة قائمة منذ سنوات وسببها الاساسي عدم الاستثمار في القطاع منذ العام 1997، ولكن اليوم لدينا خطة وافق عليها مجلس الوزراء وقد رصدنا لها في الموازنة مبلغا فاق الألف وخمسمائة مليون دولار، مشيراً إلى أن «النزول الى الشارع لا يحل المشكلة إنما الحل هو في ان يقر المجلس النيابي الموازنة وان نباشر العمل وان يقوم كل واحد منا بعمله».
وأكد الحريري السعي إلى تقوية وتجهيز كل القوى العسكرية والامنية من جيش وقوى امن داخلي وامن عام وامن دولة وتسليحها، مشيراً إلى انه «سيتم تخصيص مبالغ كبيرة في الموازنة المقبلة لهذه الغاية لاننا نحن نريد الدولة، ومستعدون للتضحية من اجل قيامها».
وكان الحريري قد اشار خلال مأدبة إفطار أقامها أمس الأول في قريطم على شرف فاعليات وعائلات مدينة صيدا والجوار، بحضور الرئيس فؤاد السنيورة والنائبة بهية الحريري، إلى أن «البعض يعتقد أن باستطاعته تفريق سعد الحريري عن فؤاد السنيورة أو فؤاد السنيورة عن سعد الحريري، أو سعد الحريري عن تيار المستقبل»، مشيرا إلى «أنهم فشلوا في تحقيق هدفهم في كل المراحل وسيمنون بالفشل على الدوام».
وسأل كيف «يمكن لأشخاص أن تكتب في وسائل إعلامية عن الشخص نفسه، فتارة تمدحه مديحا كبيرا كما فعلوا مع الرئيس رفيق الحريري عند استشهاده ومع الرئيس السنيورة، في حين انهم وقبل أشهر عدة لم يتركوا شيئا إلا وفعلوه برفيق الحريري وفؤاد السنيورة». وأضاف «اليوم وبعد خمس سنوات عادوا ليفعلوا الأمر نفسه مع الرئيس السنيورة، وأنا أقول لهم بكل صراحة أن الرئيس السنيورة خط احمر، وهذه ليست مجاملة». وأكد على «حق الدفاع عن أرضنا ورفضنا لأي شكل من أشكال التهديد لسيادتنا والتزام القرارات الدولية ولا سيما القرار 1701».
August 23, 2010 - Naharnet - Abdullah: Opposition Cabinet Ministers Not Quitting over STL Indictment
Youth and Sports Minister Ali Abdullah said Monday that Opposition and Shiite Cabinet ministers will not quit following a possible indictment of Hizbullah members in the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri.
"The issue of withdrawal of Opposition ministers has not been raised and there is no such thing," Abdullah said in an interview with Akhbar al-Yom news agency when asked whether pro-Hizbullah ministers would quit Cabinet in the event Hizbullah members were implicated in the Hariri killing.
He stressed that Opposition ministers were committed to the government of national unity.
On the ongoing electricity crisis, Abdullah said: "We should reach a settlement to the problem of power rationing."
However, he pointed out that such solutions take time and effort.
August 24, 2010 - Naharnet - Sayyed: Hariri's Assassination Designed to Implicate Syria, Explode Lebanon
Former detainee in the Hariri assassination case Jamil Sayyed on Monday said the 2005 murder of the ex-Lebanese prime minister was designed to implicate Syria and explode Lebanon.
He said leaks about the possible indictment of Hizbullah members in the Hariri murder case began to surface immediately after a report published by the German "Der Spiegel" magazine in May 2009.
Sayyed said Der Spiegel's report "reminded us of what happened at the beginning of the international investigation headed at the time by German Prosecutor Detlev Mehlis in 2005 when the probe was based on a report published by the Kuwaiti newspaper Assiyassah in which it accused Syria and the four generals."
Sayyed, former head of Lebanon's General Security Department, was freed in April 2009 after spending nearly four years in jail along with three other generals after the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon ordered their release on the grounds there was insufficient evidence to indict them for Hariri's assassination.
August 23, 2010 - Naharnet - Nadim Gemayel: We Won't Accept STL Annulment Even If Hariri Accepts or Jumblat Forgives
MP Nadim Gemayel on Monday noted that "the Special Tribunal for Lebanon does not concern only Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his family, or only (former) president Amin Gemayel and his family, or any of the martyrs' families in particular; and it does not concern the Sunnis, Maronites or the rest of sects, but it rather concerns anyone who yearns for a sovereign and free state, and it concerns those who had been martyred or those next in line if justice is not achieved."
At a ceremony marking the 28th anniversary of the election of his slain father, Bashir Gemayel, as president of the republic, the young MP stressed that "without the STL, politically-motivated crimes in Lebanon would become permissible, and we are the ones who do not want the politicization of the tribunal."
"The issue of the tribunal is imperative to the extent that even if Saad Hariri accepted, and he won't accept, or president Gemayel accepted, and he won't accept, or (Progressive Socialist Party leader MP) Walid Jumblat forgave and forgot, or pretended to forget, it would not be possible for us to accept that the STL be cancelled, because that would resemble the termination of Lebanon," Gemayel added.
Furthermore, he called for investing capabilities within the framework of the State and embracing "our national and spiritual leaders whose main concern is the existence of Lebanon."
August 23,2010 - Assafir - STL , File false witnesses outside the mandate of the Court.doc
سياسة
تاريخ العدد 23/08/2010 العدد 11673
عيساوي لـ«السفير»: ملف شهود الزور خارج تفويض المحكمة
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لم يتنازل لبنان بصورة قطعية عن حق القضاء العدلي اللبناني في النظر في قضية اغتيال الرئيس الشهيد رفيق الحريري، وإن كان «للمحكمة الخاصة أسبقية على المحاكم الوطنية في لبنان» ضمن ما سُميّ بموجب المادة 4 من النظام الأساسي للمحكمة، بـ«الاختصاص المشترك».
غير أن الممارسة السياسية والقضائية، طوال الحقبة الممتدة من انطلاق عمل لجنة التحقيق الدولية وحتى جلسة مجلس الوزراء الأخيرة، كانت محكومة باستقالة تامة من المسؤوليات الوطنية للسلطتين التنفيذية والقضائية تجاه هذا الملف.
أما وأن مجلس الوزراء، قد أحال ملف شهود الزور، على وزير العدل إبراهيم نجار للإجابة عن الأسئلة التي طرحت والعودة إلى مجلس الوزراء مجدداً «ليبنى على الشيء مقتضاه»، فإن حقبة جديدة قد بدأت لكن دونها عقبات واجتهادات.
من حيث المبدأ، فإن إقرار «المحكمة الخاصة» بموجب الفصل السابع من ميثاق الأمم المتحدة، جعل لبنان بقضائه ومؤسساته الدستورية كافة يقع تحت ما يشبه «الوصاية الدولية»، وقد مارست الحكومات المتعاقبة عملها وفق هذه القناعة، فجاءت الاتفاقية الموقعة بين الأمم المتحدة والجمهورية اللبنانية في العام 2007، ومن ثم مذكرة التفاهم ما بين الحكومة اللبنانية ومكتب النائب العام في المحكمة في العام 2009، منسجمتين مع هذا الإستسلام الطوعي للإرادة الدولية.
هل يمكن لمجلس الوزراء ممارسة أي من سلطاته الدستورية، وبالتالي هل يمكن للقضاء العدلي اللبناني أن يضع يده على ملف شهود الزور، بدون تعديل للاتفاقية الموقعة بين الأمم المتحدة والجمهورية اللبنانية، وذلك استناداً إلى المادة 20 (التعديل) التي «تجيز تعديل الاتفاقية عن طريق اتفاق خطي بين الطرفين»؟
توجهت «السفير» بالسؤال إلى المعنيين في «المحكمة الخاصة» بواسطة الناطقة باسم المحكمة فاطمة عيساوي، إلى جانب أسئلة أخرى تتعلّق بالموعد المبدئي الذي حدده قاضي الإجراءات التمهيدية دانيال فرانسين للبت بموضوع طلب اللواء الركن جميل السيد «استلامه الوثائق المتعلّقة بالتشهير به واعتقاله سياسياً وتعسفياً لمدة تقارب الأربع سنوات».
في معرض إجابتها عن أسئلة «السفير»، ثبتت المحكمة انسحابها من جهة وفتحها الباب أمام القضاء اللبناني لملاحقة شهود الزور، إذ جاء في ردها على السؤال المتعلّق بقرار مجلس الوزراء الخاص بملف شهود الزور الآتي حرفيا (بحسب نص عيساوي): «أن التفويض الممنوح للمحكمة الخاصة بلبنان، كما هو معرف بوضوح في النظام الأساسي للمحكمة، وقرار مجلس الأمن 1757، هو محاكمة المسؤولين عن الاعتداء الذي أودى بحياة رئيس الوزراء السابق رفيق الحريري و22 شخصاً آخر في 14 شباط 2005، في حال توافر الشروط المطلوبة كما حددها النظام الأساسي وقواعد الإجراءات والإثبات، فإن تفويض المحكمة سوف يشمل أيضاً الأشخاص المسؤولين عن هجمات أخرى جرت في لبنان بين الأوّل من تشرين الأول 2004 و12 كانون الأول 2005، أو في وقت لاحق... ولا يعود للمحكمة، إبداء أي مواقف أو تعليقات بالنسبة لقرارات الحكومة اللبنانية في ما يتعلق بمسائل خارجة عن تفويض المحكمة».
وعما إذا كان القاضي فرانسين على موعده المبدئي لإصدار قراره بشأن طلب اللواء السيد، أجابت عيساوي: «نعم، القاضي فرانسين سيعلن قراره، مبدئياً، بالتاريخ الذي حدده وهو النصف الأول من شهر أيلول» (فريق اللواء السيد يتوقع أن يكون الموعد هو الاثنين في 13 ايلول).
ان من حق لبنان، إذاً، تشكيل لجنة قضائية لمتابعة ملف شهود الزور والطلب إلى «المحكمة» مباشرة أو من خلال الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة، استعادة الوثائق ذات الصلة، مع ما يقتضيه ذلك من تعديلات على الاتفاقيات المبرمة بين الجانبين. والمدخل لذلك هو قرار سياسي تتخذه الحكومة اللبنانية.
فالمحكمة في جوابها، أفسحت في المجال أمام القضاء اللبناني متابعة ملف شهود الزور باعتباره ملفاً خارج إطار التفويض الممنوح للمحكمة، ولا سيما بعد أن اعتبر القاضي بيلمار علانية أن ملف شهود الزور لا مصداقية له، وبالتالي نأت المحكمة بنفسها عن هذا الملف، فهل ستتلقف الحكومة الكلام الصريح للمحكمة فتبادر إلى الخطوة الثانية لتكلّف القضاء العدلي متابعة هذا الملف؟ وهل سيشكل قرار القاضي فرانسين، في النصف الأول من الشهر المقبل، خطوة إضافــية في هذا السياق؟.
قضية أخرى أضاء عليها جواب المحكمة المتعلق «بتنازل السلطة الوطنية المعنية عن اختصاصها لصالح المحكمة في الجرائم التي وقعت بين 1 تشرين الأول 2004 و12 كانون الأول 2005 أو في تاريخ لاحق»، وفي هذا المجال يصبح التساؤل مشروعاً عن سبب عدم طلب «المحكمة الخاصة» إلى القضاء اللبناني التنازل عن الصلاحية في متابعة جريمتي اغتيال النائب وليد عيدو واللواء الركن فرانسوا الحاج، خاصة أن تقرير الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة في العام 2006 تحدث تحت عنوان «الصلات بين الهجمات»، واستناداً إلى تقرير رئيس لجنة التحقيق الدولية، «بأن اللجنة اكتشفت بعض الصلات المحتملة وأهمها أسلوب العمل، أو النمط العام المتمثل في استخدام أجهزة متفجرة، وطبيعة الجريمة أو القصد الجنائي الكامن وراء الهجمات، وهي استهداف السياسيين أو الصحافيين من ذوي النفوذ، فضلاً عن إثارة الخوف والقلق على نطاق واسع بين عناصر من السكان عن طريق استهداف الأماكن العامة، وزعزعة الوضع الأمني، وإلحاق الضرر بالهياكل الأساسية، وهوية مرتكبي بعض هذه الهجمات على الأقل».
وقد خلصت اللجنة في تقريرها الرابع إلى استنتاج أولي مفاده أنه يمكن الربط بين الحالات الأربع عشرة من الناحية التحليلية، «بعدة طرق مختلفة ومن زوايا مختلفة، منها على وجه الخصوص أوجه التشابه بينها في طريقة التنفيذ والقصد المحتمل وراءها».
هذا ما جاء في تقرير الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة، لكن قبل أن يتمكن القضاء اللبناني من الوصول إلى حقائق واعترافات مثبتة بشأن علاقة مجموعات أصولية بجريمتي اغتيال النائب عيدو واللواء الحاج... فماذا بعد؟
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August 23, 2010 - YaLibnan - US does not rule out Iranian Revolutionary Guard role in Hariri’s murder
August 23, 2010 ⋅ 11:50 am ⋅ Post a comment
Filed Under Hariri, Hezbollah, Iran
A U.S. source did not rule out the involvement of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in the assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Al-Liwaa newspaper on Monday quoted the source as saying that “rising Iranian tension over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ( STL) and remarks made by Iranian officials in this regard was due to fears that Iranian names could be implicated in Hariri’s assassination.”
Al-Liwaa said the source did not rule out that indictments could touch Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who is better known as Hassan Mahdavi, Force Commander of Quds Brigade in Lebanon, and Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in charge of the Lebanon-based Quds Brigade in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
This Brigade, which Hezbollah is affiliated with, is in charge of the Revolutionary Guards’ activity outside Iran, al-Liwaa added.
Hezbollah was established in Lebanon in 1982 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In its founding statement, Hezbollah declared itself committed to the “creation of an Islamic republic in Lebanon.” Tehran then sent hundreds of clerics and Revolutionary Guards to Lebanon to preach Iranian theology and draft recruits.
Hezbollah receives substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria.
August 23, 2010 - YaLibnan - Hezbollah official: STL lost its credibility
Hezbollah politburo member Mahmoud Qomati told OTV on Monday that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has lost its credibility, adding that his party does not care anymore about the tribunal’s pending indictment.
Qomati said last week that Hezbollah demands the elimination of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He also said: “The tribunal has been politicized from the start and was initially formed to fulfill interests, and not discover the truth, but bury it.”
On the other hand Qomati said that relations between Hezbollah and the Future Movement are good and added that his party agrees with Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s call to maintain a calm atmosphere.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last month that the tribunal would indict Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
August 23, 2010 - YaLibnan - Gemayel : Elimination of STL is like elimination of Lebanon
MP Nadim Gemayel said during a ceremony on Monday that “the Special Tribunal for Lebanon does not concern only Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his family, or only (former) president Amin Gemayel and his family, or any of the martyrs’ families in particular; and it does not concern the Sunnis, Maronites or the rest of sects . It concerns all those who aspire for a free country”.
The ceremony marked the 28th anniversary of the election of his slain father, Bashir Gemayel, as president of the republic. Gemayel stressed that “without the STL, politically-motivated crimes in Lebanon would become permissible, and we are the ones who do not want the politicization of the tribunal.”
“The issue of the tribunal is imperative to the extent that even if Saad Hariri accepted, we won’t accept, or president Gemayel accepted, we won’t accept, or (Progressive Socialist Party leader MP) Walid Jumblat forgave and forgot, or pretended to forget, it would not be possible for us to accept that the STL be eliminated, because that would be like the elimination of Lebanon,” Gemayel stressed
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Judge to issue decision on Sayyed’s request in September, says Issawi
In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published on Monday, Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) spokesperson Fatima al-Issawi said that Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen will abide by the date he had set to issue a decision regarding former head of General Security Brigadier General Jamil as-Sayyed’s request to access certain court files.
“Judge Fransen will issue his decision in the first half of September,” Issawi said.
In April 2009, the STL ordered the release due to lack of evidence of four generals who had been detained since 2005 on suspicion of involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
In July 2010, the tribunal heard a request by Sayyed, one of the four detainees, for documents related to his imprisonment. Sayyed claims he is the victim of false witnesses.
Issawi also said that the STL is only authorized to prosecute the perpetrators behind the Rafik Hariri murder.
Issawi’s statement was made when asked about the cabinet’s appointment of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the tribunal.
“It is not for the STL to make comments over [such] decisions taken by the Lebanese government,” she said.
“If conditions were available, the tribunal’s authorization will also include [the probe] of attacks that took place in Lebanon between October 1, 2004 and December 12, 2005,” she added.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Najjar will react on false witnesses after next cabinet session, says source
An anonymous source told As-Safir newspaper in an interview published on Monday that it expects Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar to have responses on the false witnesses issue during the cabinet meeting that follows Wednesday’s session.
“Najjar will have answers to questions asked by Hezbollah ministers and their allies [on the issue],” the source said.
The cabinet delegated Najjar during its meeting last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - STL might postpone indictment after Hezbollah’s alleged evidence, says source
An anonymous source told Syrian newspaper Al-Watan in an interview published on Monday that Hezbollah’s material on the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri might postpone the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment, which was expected to be issued in September.
On August 9, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah showed video footage and the confession of an alleged spy, which he said implicate Israel in the Rafik Hariri murder.
The source told Al-Watan that STL Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare and his team are dealing seriously with Hezbollah’s documents, adding that the examination of the material requires about two months.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Aoun seems remorseful over STL, says source
An anonymous source told Al-Hayat newspaper in an interview published on Monday that Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun sounds “as if he wants to implicitly apologize for saying he wanted the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).”
“Let us wait [and see] if Aoun is preparing to gradually call for abolishing the tribunal, a move that coincides with his allies’ positions, including Hezbollah’s, in regard to the STL” the source said.
Aoun said on Sunday that international interests affect the tribunal, adding that former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was not murdered by a Lebanese national but by individuals who aim to accomplish an international objective.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Iranian officials might also be indicted by STL, says Hezbollah source
An anonymous Hezbollah source told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai in an interview published on Monday that the party not only expects some of its members to be indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), but also believes that the indictment will include names of Iranian officials who have relations with Hezbollah.
The source said that the indictment will attempt to distort Hezbollah’s image and isolate it to pursue pressure on Iran.
An anonymous US source told Al-Liwaa newspaper in an interview published on Monday that Iran is making tense statements and addressing matters related to the STL out of fear that some Iranians would be indicted in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
On August 9, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah showed video footage and the confession of an alleged spy, which he said implicate Israel in the Rafik Hariri murder.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Nadim Gemayel rejects cancelling STL
During a Monday ceremony marking the anniversary of the election of late former President Bachir Gemayel, Kataeb Party bloc MP Nadim Gemayel—who is the son of Bachir—rejected the cancellation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), saying it would lead to the collapse of the government.
“The STL does not only concern Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel, or a [a certain sect]. It concerns all those who aspire for a free country,” Gemayel said.
He added that there would be more political assassinations if not for the tribunal.
Gemayel also said that he is against politicizing the STL.
“Bachir Gemayel brought hope to Lebanon and succeeded in uniting Lebanon for 21 days,” the MP said, referring to the former’s short term as president before his 1982 assassination.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Sleiman says he does not know content of STL’s indictment
New TV quoted on Monday President Michel Sleiman as saying that he does not know the content of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) pending indictment or the date it will be issued.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last month that the tribunal would indict Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, while media outlets have reported that the indictment would be issued in September.
Sleiman also said that he discussed the issue of arming the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with Iranian officials during his 2008 visit to Tehran, adding that Iran promised to study the issue.
The US Congress blocked Washington’s funding to the LAF earlier in the month, sparking efforts by Sleiman and Defense Minister Elias al-Murr to procure other funds to arm the Lebanese army.
August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Qomati: STL has lost its credibility
Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qomati told OTV on Monday that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has lost its credibility, adding that his party does not care anymore about the tribunal’s pending indictment.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last month that the tribunal would indict Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Qomati also said that relations between Hezbollah and the Future Movement are good and added that his party agrees with Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s call to maintain a calm atmosphere.
August 23, 2010 - Daily Star - Hariri tells parties to keep STL detached from local debates
By Nafez Kawas
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated Sunday his commitment to the course of justice to uncover the truth behind his father’s assassination, as he called on Lebanese parties to distance the UN-backed tribunal from domestic debate.
“Lebanon is witnessing a lot of political comments as some want the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to remain subject to internal debate. But we believe that a flurry of statements will not progress or delay matters as calm continues to be the best way to approach matters,” Hariri said.
The prime minister made his comments during an iftar at his residence in Qoreitem in honor of northern Bekaa families.
Hariri stressed that the truth behind former Premier Rafik Hariri’s murder was no longer a personal or family affair but a Lebanese and Arab cause.
“Like any one of you, I consider commitment to justice and truth a national responsibility that should not be relinquished or lost regardless of motives and reasons,” Hariri said.
“I assure those who need assurances that the course of justice will not stop and we will welcome anything that could help this course progress.”
Hariri called on Lebanese leaders to commit to calm rhetoric and “to commit to reason, away from provocative stances as regional challenges loom in the near future.”
“Stability is the responsibility of all and a calm atmosphere provides the elements of stability and prevents tensions … any tense position by any party will reflect on the country’s political situation,” Hariri said.
On Saturday, Hariri stressed that attempts to create a schism among the ranks of the Future Movement would fail.
“Some believe that they can distance Saad Hariri from [former Premier] Fouad Siniora, or vice versa, or distance Saad Hariri from the Future Movement, and they are confused about what they want, but they failed in the past to achieve their goal and they will continue to fail,” Hariri said.
Pro-opposition Al-Akhbar newspaper accused Siniora in remarks published Saturday of spreading corruption in state institutions and infiltrating the country’s economic, telecommunication and security infrastructure to serve foreign goals aimed against the resistance.
“How can people praise and insult the same person just like they did when they praised former Premier Rafik Hariri after he was assassinated after having criticized him all through his life?” Hariri asked.
“Now, after five years, they are trying to do the same thing with Fouad Siniora and I tell them honestly that Premier Siniora is a red line and this is not flattery,” Hariri said.
Addressing families from Sidon, Hariri also stressed that south Lebanon constituted the first line of defense against Israeli threats and praised the Lebanese Army for safeguarding Lebanese sovereignty, particularly during the Adaysseh incident earlier this month.
The Adaysseh cross-border clashes between the Lebanese and Israeli armies killed three Lebanese – two army soldiers, and a journalist – as well as an Israeli Army officer.
“Lebanon does not seek tensions but rejects Israeli violations,” Hariri said while expressing the country’s commitment to Resolution 1701 and the army’s cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
On another note, Hariri stressed that protests against electricity rationing would not help resolve the long-running crisis which was the outcome of a lack of investments in the electricity sector since 1997.
“What would solve the problem is Parliament approving the budget so we can start tackling the people’s basic priorities which are the same as the Cabinet’s,” Hariri said.
August 23, 2010 - Daily Star - Hizbullah 'evidence' to delay STL indictments
By Wassim Mroueh
BEIRUT: Evidence provided by Hizbullah regarding the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri will delay an impending indictment by the UN-backed tribunal probing the murder, a well-informed judicial source told The Daily Star Sunday.
The source said documents provided by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a recent news conference would be thoroughly examined by Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, who is probing the Hariri case. Such a process, according to the source, would at least delay the issuance of the indictment by around two months, after earlier reports said the indictment would be released in September.
The indictment would also outline the results reached by the STL regarding Nasrallah’s evidence, said the source, adding that the STL’s indictment would be “professional, technical and rely on definite proofs, rather than being tied to political considerations.”
During his news conference, Nasrallah screened video clips of alleged Israeli drone surveillance footage intercepted by Hizbullah that showed routes Hariri used to travel, including the area where he was killed on February 14, 2005.
Nasrallah also aired the confessions of an Israel agent who said he had been tasked by Israel to convince Hariri’s security personnel that Hizbullah was intending to assassinate Hariri.
Following a request by Bellemare for the disclosed evidence, Hizbullah refused to hand over the data directly, saying it had no faith in the tribunal.
But Hizbullah’s security official Wafiq Safa submitted last week the evidence to State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who in turn supplied Bellemare’s office in Beirut with the requested data.
In an earlier address, Nasrallah lashed out at the STL, dismissing it as an “Israeli project.”
Western reports said “rogue” Hizbullah members would be indicted in Hariri’s murder.
While rejecting such an indictment, Nasrallah said it reflected US and Israeli attempts to target the resistance.
Nasrallah has repeatedly called for forming a Lebanese committee to probe false witnesses which he said had misled the STL’s investigations.
In its latest session, the Cabinet tasked Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar with following up on the issue of false witnesses.
Head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc Nabatieh MP Mohammad Raad said Saturday that revealing the truth regarding Hariri’s murder was impossible before probing false witnesses. “We consider those witnesses as posing a greater danger to Lebanon than [Israeli] agents that are being uncovered,” he said at an iftar in the village of Suhmor in western Bekaa.
“Those [false witnesses] should be pursued and tried to uncover who [fielded] them and the agencies that sponsored them in order to reach truth,” added Raad.
Meanwhile, Administrative Affairs Minister Mohammad Fneish, also a Hizbullah official, denied that his party had called for canceling the STL and abrogating its agreement. “The party has not taken such a decision yet, and if this had happened, an official announcement would have been made,” he said in remarks published by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai Sunday.
Fneish stressed the need to “punish false witnesses regardless of the side that will do so,” adding the Cabinet’s decision to task Najjar with following up on false witnesses stemmed from its keenness on revealing the truth and achieving justice.
Separately, head of the Tawhid Movement Wi’am Wahhab called upon the government to halt its funding of the STL and to withdraw Lebanese judges participating in it. “We will not be easy with the STL and we warn against tolerating its decisions. The STL is rejected in all its components and its decisions,” he told Al-Jadeed television station Sunday.
Nasrallah is expected to deliver an address at an iftar Tuesday, during which he is expected to touch on the subject of the STL.
August 23, 2010 - Daily Star - Aoun: STL is an 'international plot' that does not seek justice
FPM leader urges plan to resist naturalization of refugees
By The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun said on Sunday that the UN-backed tribunal was an international plot aimed against Lebanon rather than a court seeking justice in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“Lebanon is being subject to conspiracy and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon [STL] is turning into an international game rather than seeking justice,” Aoun said during a tour in the Kesrouan District.
“Those who killed former Prime Minister Hariri are not Lebanese even if they are agents of Lebanese nationality,” he added.
Aoun went further to stress that the side behind Hariri’s murder sought to serve international interests particularly the naturalization of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
The FPM leader called on the Cabinet to put in place a plan to resist the naturalization of refugees while stressing that “verbal resistance” would not prevent such a plot.
Last week, Parliament approved a bill lifting former restrictions on employment for Palestinian refugees, who were granted the right to work in any field open to foreigners with benefits including social security from a special established fund.
“Why does Lebanon lack the right to negotiate the issue of the right of return of Palestinian refugees?” Aoun asked.
“We rejected the division of Palestine but it was divided, we rejected the displacement of Palestinians but they were displaced, we rejected the abolition of the Palestinian refugees’ right of return but they did not return,” Aoun added.
Commenting on the issue of spies for Israel, Aoun said “falling as a prey to wrongdoing was normal while those pretending that they are above all wrongdoing are sinners.”
Aoun stressed that the Lebanese Army would remain united despite the uncovering of spies within its ranks.
“Some point to the arrest of a former major general and they forgot that among 11 other major generals who were under my command, two were elected president,” the former army general said in reference to former Major General and FPM official Fayez Karam who was recently arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel.
Tackling the issue of reforming the country’s infrastructure, Aoun vowed to push for the implementation of developmental projects in the Kesrouan District, beginning with the water, electricity and transportation sectors.
Aoun added that the lack of interest in reforming infrastructure was part of a conspiracy since 1990 aimed at driving Lebanese people to poverty and encouraging them to emigrate.
“We are resisting [such schemes] through planning projects,” Aoun said while calling on Kesrouan residents to resist through “protests to force the implementation of these [developmental] plans.”
Meanwhile FPM official and Energy and Water Resources Minister Jibran Bassil, who accompanied Aoun during his Kesrouan tour, stressed that building dams would become a necessity if the country faced a water-shortage crisis.
Bassil made his statement from the Shabrouh dam site in the Kesrouan town of Faraya.
“The Shabrouh dam is the last one to be built 30 years ago after 10 years of debate and five years of implementation … I believe this dam provided water supply to Kesrouan residents contrary to the past and we are working on solving minor problems in supplying water to some nearby towns,” Bassil said.
Bassil highlighted that project studies for 43 dams had been conducted but their implementation awaited Cabinet’s allocation of required funds.
“We are discussing the establishment of only 10 dams out of 43 but we should begin work as soon as possible,” Bassil said, adding that he would raise the issue during the Cabinet’s next meeting. – The Daily Star
August 21, 2010 - YaLibnan - Najjar:I will say what I know about STL false witnesses
Lebanon Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Saturday that he will not issue any statements on the false witnesses case before another week in preparation of his study of their file.
He told An Nahar: “I will say what I know on the matter and what I have to say based on my professionalism and vast experience that dates back to 40 years.”
In a related development The Future bloc which is headed by PM Saad Hariri agreed after its meeting on Friday that “there is no such thing as a false witnesses file,” according to An Nahar .
“A false witness is one who takes the oath before the judge and then backs downs from his pledge” and this is not the case in false witnesses file in the investigation of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the bloc added.
Furthermore, it noted that the investigation is conducted under great secrecy and no individual knows what the witnesses have stated “and therefore there is no false witnesses file to be handed over to Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, but only a request to prepare answers to specific questions.”
Damning evidence
Highly sensitive articles on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri are expected to be published in American newspapers within the next few days, a media sources told the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper.
The sources added that only three individuals in the U.S. administration are following up on the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and matters related to it.
Al-Rai quoted one of the officials as saying: “Damning evidence that demonstrates Hezbollah’s involvement in the assassination may appear in the upcoming days.”
Furthermore, the official said he considered Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest press conference, during which he said that Israel may be behind the crime, “as an attempt to mislead the investigation and buy some time.”
Doubts
Dr. Stephan Rosiny of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) who prepared a report on the assassination of Lebanon’s former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri told the An Nahar newspaper on Saturday that he based his analysis on possible assumptions and his own personal expertise.
A holder of a doctorate on Hezbollah, the German researcher doubted that the group could be behind the assassination.
“If Hezbollah planned the crime, it may have executed it in a more precise manner,” Rosiny said. He may have been referring to the cleanup of the assassination site following the murder of Hariri.
He added that western governments are seeking to break the Syrian-Iranian-Hezbollah-Hamas front, and removing the accusation off of Syria is a step in that direction.
Many observers are of the opinion that if Hezbollah is behind Hariri ’s assassination , it could not have done it without the complete approval of the Syrian regime
Fabrications
During a phone interview with Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper , Mohammed Zuhair Siddiq who was branded in 2005 as the “King Witness” described Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s information on former PM Rafik Hariri’s murder as fabricated and accused Hezbollah and the Syrian intelligence of fabricating false witnesses.
The evidence that allegedly accuses Israel of involvement in Hariri’s assassination is “unconvincing,” Siddiq told the al-Seyassah newspaper in remarks published Friday.
August 22, 2010 - YaLibnan - Hezbollah official denies his party wants to topple STL
Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish, a key Hezbollah official denied that his party has called for toppling the international tribunal and reiterated demands to punish false witnesses in former PM Rafik Hariri’s assassination .
“Had Hezbollah taken such a decision, it would have issued an official statement,” Fneish said in an interview with Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper.
“Since the international tribunal is saying that it was not within its authorities to punish false witnesses, any other authority should punish them,” Fneish said.
Fneish’s comment contradicts the remarks made by Hezbollah politburo member Mahmoud Qomati who stressed last Wednesday the party’s demand for the elimination of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon STL) .
Qomati said: “The tribunal has been politicized from the start and was initially formed to fulfill interests, and not discover the truth, but bury it.”
When asked why Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah now chose to present evidence about Israel’s alleged involvement in Hariri’s murder, the minister said: “We are keen on dealing with this big case with calm … We are keen on implementing justice.”
Fneish also claimed that Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told MP Walid Jumblatt two months ago about the indictment that will be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
“Let no one tell me that Lebanese officials are not aware of the indictment and that Israelis haven’t talked about it … Let us not play with people’s minds,” he told the daily.
Nasrallah’s evidence was delivered to STL prosecutor Daniel Bellemare last week and the issue of false witnesses is now being handled by Justice minister Ibrahim Najjar.
Yesterday the Future movement which is headed by PM saad Hariri, son of the slain PM issued a statement in which it said “there is no such thing as a false witnesses file,” according to An Nahar .
“A false witness is one who takes the oath before the judge and then backs downs from his pledge” and this is not the case in false witnesses file in the investigation of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the bloc added.
Furthermore the Future statement noted that the investigation is conducted under great secrecy and no individual knows what the witnesses have stated “and therefore there is no false witnesses file to be handed over to Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, but only a request to prepare answers to specific questions.”
August 22, 2010 - YaLibnan - Hezbollah Knows Hariri’s Killers, says Miqdad
Hezbollah MP Ali Moqdad said Hezbollah knows the identity of the killers of Lebanon’s former PM Rafik Hariri and won’t wait for another five years to unveil the truth behind the assassination.
Hezbollah “won’t remain silent from now on to any accusation or distortion of the resistance image,” Moqdad said during an Iftar banquet.
Without naming Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea , Moqdad said that those who want to defend Lebanon should become part of the resistance-army-people triangle rather than create slogans.
Geagea proposed during Thursday’s national dialogue session reinforcing the Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) deployment in the South by placing Hezbollah units under the command of the Lebanese army.
Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad described Geagea’s proposal as “not positive and not encouraging”.
“The aim of Geagea’s proposal is not to defend Lebanon, but rather to get rid of Hezbollah and its arms,” added Raad.
Geagea responded by saying: “We’d protect the Resistance with our eyelashes provided that it becomes our collective resistance and in the form we see fit for all of us. Let’s imagine (PM Saad) Hariri, ( former PM Fouad) Siniora, (MP Jean) Oghassabian and (MP Michel) Pharaon deciding to establish a resistance movement, would we back their step?”
On the electricity blackouts , Moqdad called for immediate solutions to face the unprecedented heat wave hitting Lebanon.
According to Energy minister Gebran Bassil those that are not paying for electricity are the ones who are protesting the most.
According to observers it is a well known fact that Hezbollah and Amal supporters have not paid for electricity charges for many years and this is the reason why Lebanon , which is a heavily indebted nation has been subsiding the electric utility company all these past years
August 22, 2010 - YaLibnan - Hezbollah info may delay indictment by 1 -2 months
As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Sunday that Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare might delay the issuing of the tribunal’s indictment, which was initially expected in September, after Hezbollah submitted its information on the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Asharq al-Awsat was told by its source on Sunday: “Bellemare and his team are dealing very seriously with the documents … and this may take up nearly two months, which means delaying the indictment to late October or mid-November at the latest.”
“The indictment will be issued at the end of the investigation after reaching damning evidence and it will not be related to political developments in Lebanon or the region,” the paper added.
Attorney General Judge Said Mirza received last Tuesday from Hezbollah a file containing the information requested last week by the STL pertaining to the murder of Rafik Hariri.
August 22, 2010 - YaLibnan - Wahab launches another attack against STL
Former minister Wiam Wahab launched another attack against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on Sunday. In an interview with NBN TV he said that the March 8 coalition will exert pressure the government if it does not take a stance concerning (STL) and its pending indictment.
Wahab a staunch ally of Syria and Hezbollah called for cutting STL’s funding and withdrawing its Lebanese judges.
STL was formed by the UN to try the killers of Lebanon’s former PM Rafik Hariri
Wahab also branded the STL as an Israeli tribunal and warned any Lebanese institution against dealing with it
He said “Certain politicians called for postponing the issuing of the indictment until March,” he added “Postponing the indictment is worse than issuing it. The government must halt its cooperation with the STL or else sedition will occur.”
Wahab who used to attack former PM Fouad Siniora on regular basis praised him today when he attacked Prime Minister Saad Hariri , saying he is not as efficient as Siniora with state administration.”
Last week Wahab warned that people supporting sedition in Lebanon will be later “found in car trunks.”
As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Sunday that Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare might delay the issuing of the tribunal’s indictment, which was initially expected in September, after Hezbollah submitted its information on the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Asharq al-Awsat was told by its source on Sunday: “Bellemare and his team are dealing very seriously with the documents … and this may take up nearly two months, which means delaying the indictment to late October or mid-November at the latest.”
Ali Hussein a political analyst told Ya Libnan: “Both Hezbollah and Syria use Wahab on regular basis to do their dirty work….whatever he has been saying ever since 2004 has always been reflecting the thinking of the Syrian and Hezbollah leadership.”
August 22, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Habib: STL reached point where it cannot be affected
During a Saturday dinner event, Lebanese Forces bloc MP Farid Habib said that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) probe has reached a phase in which no local or international actor can affect its decisions, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday.
He also criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun without naming him, saying that “it is unfortunate that a [former] high-ranking Lebanese army official is obstructing President Michel Sleiman’s efforts to empower the Lebanese army and let it enforce its authority over Lebanese territories.”
Habib’s criticism came in response to Aoun’s alliance and support of Hezbollah.
Sleiman called for empowering the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) following the border skirmish between Lebanese and Israeli troops near the southern village of Aadaiseh earlier this month.
August 22, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Mouawad: STL is the only guarantee for justice
Independence Movement leader Michel Mouawad said that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is the only guarantee for justice and is a real opportunity to preserve stability in Lebanon, according to a statement issued by his office on Sunday.
Mouawad added that Lebanon’s defense formula is the triangle of the “state, constitution and people.”
The above-mentioned formula ensures stability in Lebanon, he said, adding that any other equation would increase divisions and destroy the country.
August 22, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Raad stresses punishing STL’s false witnesses
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad stressed the need to pursue and punish the witnesses who gave false testimonies to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday.
“The first step to uncovering the truth [behind the Rafik Hariri murder] is to punish the false witnesses,” Raad said.
The cabinet delegated Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar during its Wednesday meeting to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the STL.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah earlier this month said he doubted the STL’s credibility and called for forming a Lebanese commission to investigate alleged false witnesses in the tribunal’s investigation.
August 22, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Adwan: False witnesses cannot be tracked until STL verdict issued
Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan told New TV on Sunday that the witnesses who gave false testimonies to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) cannot be tracked and punished until the STL’s indictment and verdict are issued.
“We refuse to politicize the STL’s probe,” Adwan said, adding that the Justice Ministry will submit a report to the cabinet on false witnesses without interfering in the tribunal’s work.
The cabinet delegated Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar during its meeting last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the STL.
Adwan also thanked Iran “if it wanted to unconditionally empower the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),” adding that “the same applies to the US and France.”
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghadanfar Roken Abadi met with Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander General Jean Kahwaji earlier in the month, during which he said that Tehran is ready to assist the LAF “in any area that would help the military to perform its national role in defending Lebanon.”
August 22, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Ogassapian reiterates commitment to STL
Minister of State Jean Ogassapian reiterated his commitment to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to Future News on Sunday, saying, “committing to the STL is a primary choice.”
Ogassapian added that some public figures in Lebanon are making premature judgments as to the STL’s pending indictment.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last month that the STL, which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is an “Israeli project” aiming to incite sedition in Lebanon. He also said that Prime Minister Saad Hariri informed him earlier this year that the tribunal will indict Hezbollah members.
-NOW Lebanon
