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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Abu Zeinab Says Opposition to Block Financing of STL |
| 2010-09-30 |
| [An Nahar] The opposition will try to block further Lebanese financing of the U.N.-backed court probing the murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, a Hizbullah top official said Wednesday amid a deepening political crisis over the issue. "Hizbullah and its allies have decided to oppose any financing of the tribunal," Ghaleb Abu Zeinab, a member of Hizbullah's political bureau, said in an interview with Agence France Presse. "How can we finance a tribunal that has turned into an Israeli-American tool attempting to sow discord in the country," he asked. "We do not want Leb to fall victim to U.S. interests in the region." His comments came as Prime Minister Saad Hariri -- son of the slain premier -- ruled out any compromise on the Special Tribunal for Leb (STL) which was set up in the wake of Hariri's 2005 assassination in a massive bomb attack. Ammar Moussawi, in charge of international relations for Hizbullah, said Wednesday the tribunal represented a ticking "time bomb." Leb provides 49 percent of the funding for the tribunal while other countries provide the remainder. However, The infamous However... should Leb fail to honor its share of the funding, donor countries must cover the cost, according to the U.N. resolution that set up the court in 2007. |
| Posted by:Fred |