Israel Matzav

Assad tries to shut down Hariri tribunal

At a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Saudi King Abdullah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for an immediate end to the activity of the United Nations international tribunal investigating the death of former Lebanese leader Rafik al-Hariri. Assad said that the tribunal had become a “burden” on Lebanon, and threatened the country's stability.

A report in the Lebanese press quoted Assad as warning the tribunal against finding Hizbullah guilty for Hariri's murder; such a decision could “destroy” Lebanon, he said, adding that the tribunal has “nearly caused a tragedy in the Middle East.” He said that the tribunal had attempted to falsely blame Syria as well. “We cannot accept the same results regarding Hizbullah,” he said. If, at one time, the tribunal was attempting to find the parties guilty for Hariri's death, today it had become a tool by which to persecute countries that were not pro-American, he claimed. Hizbullah top terrorist Hassan Nasrallah is set to make a speech Tuesday, in which he will discuss the investigation.

According to the report, Abdullah said that it was doubtful that the tribunal could be stopped at this point, since it had major international backing. The meeting was seen as an attempt by Assad to deliver a message to Sa'ad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, with whom Abdullah has close ties. Sa'ad is the son of Rafik Hariri.

The UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly set to announce that Mustafa Badr al-Din, a senior Hizbullah operative and close relative of the former Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh, is the main suspect in the Hariri assassination.

According to an Israel TV report on Thursday night, Hariri’s son, the current Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, asked the tribunal to postpone releasing Din’s name, because of the potentially incendiary implications for Lebanon of such an announcement.

Din, the cousin and brother- in-law of Mughniyeh, who was killed in a car bomb in Damascus in February 2008, was also reportedly responsible for planning the attempted assassination of the ruler of Kuwait in 1985, among other operations.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, said last week that members of his group would be among those indicted by the tribunal, which he dismissed as an “Israeli plot.”

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:17 PM