March 6, 2009 - Daily Star - Cabinet delays MOU on Hariri tribunal

Ministers form Committee to study 'controversial' issues in accord with court

By Nafez Qawas

BEIRUT: The Cabinet postponed talks on Thursday on the Memorandum of Understanding with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and formed a committee to discuss the controversial issues in the memorandum. The memorandum, which was expected to be discussed during Thursday's regular ministerial session, was delayed pending discussions by a committee formed of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish and Minister of State Mohammad Qabbani.
Well-informed ministerial sources told The Daily Star that no time limit had been set to the committee to issue a decision about the memorandum, adding that the committee would continue its meetings until a consensus is reached over controversial issues.
Controversial issues include, among others, the power of the court to track individuals involved in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri across Lebanese territories.
Ahead of the session, a meeting was held between President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, during which they tackled the latest developments on the Lebanese political scene.
Sleiman and Siniora held separate talks with UEA Foreign Secretary Abdallah bin Zayed Nahyan, who is on an official visit to Lebanon.
In comments to reporters before the session, Minister of State Wael Bou Faour said: "Everything is subject to amendment and let us hope that discussions would be constructive."
For his part, Tourism Minister Elie Marouni told Voice of Lebanon radio station that if the Cabinet did not approve a memorandum with the STL, its fate would be similar to the Council for the South.
"We are hoping that the MoU will be approved, because it reflects Lebanon's credibility," Marouni said.
In remarks on Thursday, Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalifeh said that the memorandum should be tackled carefully in order to avoid any terms that might harm Lebanon's sovereignty.
In a separate development, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, and top Middle East officer at the US National Security Council Daniel Shapiro, were scheduled to arrive on Thursday to Beirut prior to visiting Damascus. They were expected assure Lebanese officials that the Obama administration would make no deals with Syria at Lebanon's expense, according to local media reports.
Well-informed US sources told the daily An-Nahar on Thursday that any US-Syrian dialogue would not be at the expense of Lebanon. Both US officials would return to Beirut after the conclusion of their visit to Damascus to brief the Lebanese government on their talks, the sources added.
The two US officials are scheduled to meet with Sleiman, Siniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as leading figures from March 14 Forces and religious figures, prior to heading to Damascus, it added.
Feltman and Shapiro were scheduled to dine Thursday night with MP Saad Hariri. They will also meet with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, Phalange Party leader and former president Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, it said.
In Damascus, they are scheduled to meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, and discuss disputed points between the United States and Syria, while affirming US policy on Lebanon, the daily added.
Feltman and Shapiro would also discuss means of bilateral cooperation with Syria regarding Iraq and Gaza, it said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced earlier that the United States would send the two envoys to Syria for "preliminary conversations."
In other developments, Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi paid a visit to Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday to inspect progress in the "Waad Project" to rebuild the area, which reduced to rubble during the summer 2006 war with Israel. "I praise the residents of Dahiyeh for their steadfastness, patience and courage during the 2006 war," he said in a press conference.
"There is no particular electoral [agenda] behind any of the visits apart from the fact that I am searching for the best interest of the Lebanese citizen," Aridi said.
Separately, the United States reaffirmed its continuous support for the Lebanese Army during a 10-day visit to the US by Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji, the Army said in a statement on Thursday.
Kahwaji, who returned to Beirut Wednesday, had met with senior State Department officials and top military leaders, including US Central Command Commander David Petraeus and the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen.
The US officials told Kahwaji that Washington " will continue to provide military aid to the army ... promote its ability to preserve internal security, fight terrorism, control the borders and ensure the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701," the statement said.
The US last week said it will provide the military with "Raven" unmanned aircrafts.