16 December 2010

BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Wednesday on all Lebanese factions defending the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to step back, and allow Hizbullah to deal with the UN-backed court.

“Let us discuss a formula by which the government withdraws from the issue, we will confront [the STL] alone,” he added, saying such a step would ease tension in Lebanon

“Leave the dispute between us and the international tribunal, why do you spend days and nights defending the tribunal, investigations, and false witnesses?” asked Nasrallah.

Hizbullah has since July slammed the STL – established by the UN to try the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri – as an “Israeli project” targeting the resistance. The Netherlands-based court is believed to be moving toward indicting Hizbullah.

But March 14 parties, led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Rafik’s son, reject claims the court was politicized, arguing it is the only means to punish criminals.

Nasrallah, who addressed supporters via video link in the Beirut southern suburbs during a rally to commemorate Ashura, stepped up his offensive against the UN probe.

He held Gerhard Lehmann, the deputy head of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) responsible for leaking documents and information related to the investigations in return for money.

“He [Lehmann] is corrupt and cheap … he sold documents [related to the probes] to some people in Lebanon who passed them to me,” said Nasrallah.

He added that Lehmann offered selling documents for prices ranging between $50,000 and $70,000.

“Middlemen offered that they will provide us with everything related to the probes for $1 million, but we declined,” explained Nasrallah. “Does anyone seeking the truth accept such an investigation, such corrupt investigators, such false witnesses?” he asked.

Lehmann was the deputy of Detlev Mehlis, the president of the UNIIIC.

The Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition believes the key to revealing the truth into Hariri’s case lies in referring the issue of “false witnesses” linked to the probes to the Judicial Council, the highest judicial authority in Lebanon.

But March 14 parties insist the matter should be handled by regular judiciary after the indictment is handed down.

A Cabinet session Wednesday failed to tackle the issue, which has paralyzed Cabinet sessions for more than one month.

“Tonight, the Cabinet has protected false witnesses,” said Nasrallah, adding that the STL, Mehlis, Lehman, and some Lebanese figures were protecting “false witnesses.”

“This tribunal is not independent. God willing, a day will come when the tribunal’s officials and all who conspired will witness a scandal that is greater than that of WikiLeaks,” he added.

Nasrallah proposed that the Cabinet evaluate the functions of the STL and the UNIIIC and figure out what are the best means to serve justice in Hariri’s case.

The STL’s indictment is rumored to be handed down in December. The Hizbullah leader said his party views the indictment as a card used by Israel to foment Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon. He said the party had known knew about the indictment years earlier, but had not acted until it became imminent.

But Nasrallah stressed that the indictment would not lead to Sunni-Shiite strife, noting that many of the indictment’s planned goals were thwarted when Hizbullah launched a campaign to defend itself a few months ago. He said the indictment would neither be able to tarnish Hizbullah’s reputation, nor corner Hizbullah’s Sunni allies.

He also said Hizbullah succeeded in fostering a sense of national, Arab and Islamic sense of responsibility, as he reiterated his support to Syrian-Saudi efforts to reach a compromise. “Syria and Saudi Arabia are concerned parties [in the deadlock] and they are making efforts supported by Iran,” he added.

Concerning the looming indictment, Nasrallah said his party would “act on the matter when it happens,” and added: “We will evaluate it [the indictment], its repercussions, examine how the other party will react to it and consult our allies.”

“We will say this indictment targets the resistance, and decide what to do, Hizbullah is neither worried nor afraid, but we are concerned about the country,” he said, adding Hizbullah was aware the indictment would be issued within the next few days.

Copyright The Daily Star 2010.