May 7, 2009 - Naharnet - Cassesse Postpones Beirut Visit till July

The president of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Antonio Cassesse has postponed a scheduled visit to Beirut without giving a reason for the delay.

Tribunal spokeswoman Suzanne Khan told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Cassesse is "likely" to make a regional tour in July.

"He did not cancel his trip," Khan made sure to point out.

The paper quoted a judicial source in Beirut as saying Cassesse has informed Lebanon of the delay, but denied the STL has set a new date for his visit.

The source believed that the U.N. was probably "disturbed by the uproar" which prevailed in the wake of the release of Lebanon's top four generals from nearly four years in jail without charge and the ensuing opposition campaign against the Lebanese judiciary.

Cassesse was scheduled to visit Lebanon May 11 for talks with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

He had also planned to meet the head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Ghaleb Ghanem as well as Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, and was scheduled to give a lecture in Beirut on the mechanisms for the STL's operation.