LEBANON: Lebanese government approves plans for tribunal into the death of late Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri

The Lebanese cabinet met on Saturday ( November 25 ) to approve plans for a tribunal into the death of late prime minister Rafik al Hariri. The meeting came two days after the burial of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel who was shot dead on Tuesday (November 21) in the sixth killing of an anti-Syrian figure in less than two years in Lebanon. Syria complained on Friday (November 24) that it had not been consulted on plans for a special tribunal under UN auspices, to try suspects in a string of political killings in Lebanon, and appeared to threaten not to co-operate with it. The special tribunal will try suspects in the 2005 assassination of al-Hariri who was murdered in a Beirut car-bombing after speaking out against Syrian domination of his country. The United Nations drafted the court plans in consultation with Lebanon's subsequently-elected anti-Syrian government after the current prime minister, Fouad Siniora, told UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in a letter that his country's judiciary could not handle the Hariri case on its own. A continuing UN investigation has implicated senior Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing although Damascus has denied involvement. Lebanon's government says its Syrian-backed opponents, led by Shi'ite group Hezbollah, want to weaken it and scupper the international tribunal. The opposition denies this, saying it backs a tribunal in principle. Six ministers from Hezbollah and its allies quit the cabinet this month after all-party talks on giving the opposition effective veto power collapsed. After the cabinet meeting Ghazi al Ardi, a government spokesman held a news conference. "Following deliberations the cabinet has decided to approve a planned program to turn the case of the crime perpetrated against Pierre Gemayel and his companion the Martyr Samir Shartouni to the justice department. And the approval on the programme between Lebanon and the United Nations to establish a court specific to Lebanon and to appoint the minister of justice or an appointed person to sign on the agreement with the United Nations and to agree on the planned programme to turn an urgent law to the parliament to give permission to the government to complete the agreement," he said. The court is a major source of contention between the Western-backed government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition led by pro-Syrian Hezbollah. Tension between the two groups was heightened by Tuesday's assassination of Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel. Hezbollah, which is also supported by Iran, and its allies have said they will take to the streets to topple the government after it rejected its demands for more say in government.

ITN Source | November 26, 2006

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