headed to Lebanon, feeling really brave....

So yours truly is headed to Lebanon, feeling really brave....

Tue, August 17, 2010 - 8:03 AM

Tell me what you think:


Hariri persists with calls for calm as tribunal tensions simmer
Politicians gear up for week of tense talks on draft oil law, defense
By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
BEIRUT: Ambiguity continues to surround the tug of war among Lebanese parties over investigations into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s murder as Premier Saad Hariri remains silent over Hizbullah’s refusal to cooperate with the UN-backed tribunal.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated on Monday for the third consecutive day the need to commit to calm political rhetoric away from media provocations to allow room for dialogue in the interest of Lebanon’s stability.
As the political stalemate over Lebanon’s position vis-a-vis the UN probe persisted, politicians prepared to engage in heated discussions during the course of this week over the ratification of an oil law draft, the approval of a plan to equip the Lebanese Army and deliberation on a defense strategy.
Lawmakers are scheduled to debate Tuesday at Parliament the country’s draft oil law while the Cabinet is scheduled on Wednesday to discuss a three-year plan to equip the Lebanese Army prior to a meeting Thursday of the National Dialogue to discuss a defense strategy.
“We do not fear for Lebanon due to political noise and we hope that it calms down and turns into calm rhetoric to allow for democratic dialogue,” Hariri said during an iftar at his residence in Qoreitem on Monday.
“We call on all Lebanese during the holy month of Ramadan to preserve this spirit and give ourselves a new opportunity … to resolve our issues calmly away from tensions and escalation,” he added.
Hariri met Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday. He called during an iftar later that night on domestic parties to commit to calm political rhetoric away from trading accusations over investigations into his father’s murder.
“A lot of you expect me to take a stance but I said yesterday that I will decide when to talk … no matter what the dispute among political parties is, we should not trade accusations of treason, lies and insults,” Hariri said.
On Saturday, Hariri stressed his commitment to preserving calm and stability in Lebanon as well as the truth behind the assassination of his father.
“Saad Hariri and all Lebanese want the truth and nothing more and they also want stability and [to know] who was responsible for the assassination of Hariri and the other martyrs,” the premier said.
Hariri warned that chaos and instability could not emanate from void but could only result from a decision to instigate them.
“We, as those who are responsible for this country, can face the worst attacks, whether they are Israeli or not, if we act wisely and calmly among each other,” Hariri said.
“I abstained from making statements during the past period and I will continue to do so because I want calm,” Hariri added.
Regional powerbrokers Syria and Saudi Arabia have both urged Lebanese parties, during a visit by the Syrian president and Saudi monarch to Lebanon last month, to commit to calm political rhetoric in a bid to ease growing tensions over the impending indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
Fears of Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon rose after Western and Israeli media reports claimed that the STL’s indictment would accuse Hizbullah members of involvement in the assassination.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has criticized the STL as an “Israeli project” and stressed that his party had no trust in the UN-backed tribunal and would not cooperate with it directly.
During a news conference last Monday, Nasrallah presented information which he said implicated Israel in the murder, but the party has not yet handed the documents to the Lebanese judiciary after Prosecutor Said Mirza made a verbal request for the information in Hizbullah’s possession.
Mirza’s request followed a demand by STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare for information Nasrallah presented to the public.
While the parliamentary majority continues to stress the STL’s independence and exclusive right to investigate evidence and later issue an indictment, Hizbullah and its opposition allies have recently called for the formation of a Lebanese investigation committee.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=118268#ixzz0wsLlty9w
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/)

Tue, August 17, 2010 - 8:03 AM -