You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hariri court begins hearing on terror charges
2011-02-08
[Asharq al-Aswat] The tribunal set up to try the killers of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri started a hearing on Monday on how to define the crime of terrorism as listed in a draft indictment.
Oh dear. The U.N. has never yet managed to define terrorism. If they start there, they'll probably still be at it in a century or several. Still, I s'pose the court room'll do as a purgatory for the suspects...
They're working on that. I understand the draft definition begins with Zionism and Islamaphobia = failure to convert or be a good dhimmi. There might be a few more points, but that's the gist of the evolving UN definition of terrorism, quite adequate for the Euros to act on immediately.
"Today's proceedings show that Leb, a proud founding member of the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society, is set for a course of judicial accountability through the rule of law," presiding judge Antonio Cassese said as the hearing opened before the Special Tribunal for Leb, based in Leidschendam near The Hague.

"This hearing signals an important moment for the life of the tribunal."

Cassese said that pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen had submitted 15 legal questions for the appeals chamber to clarify related to an indictment filed under seal by prosecutor Daniel Bellemare on January 17, and is widely believed to implicate Hezbullies.

Fransen is tasked with confirming the indictment before any arrest warrants can be issued for the 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people in Beirut.
Purgatory for the officers of the court, at any rate. It'll serve to keep them from getting in worse trouble, like arresting former president George W. Bush or Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu
.Among other things, he had asked the judges to decide how the crimes of terrorism, conspiracy and premeditated murder should be defined, and under which law -- Lebanese or international or both.

Cassese said Monday's proceedings would help ensure a speedy trial, a prerequisite for fairness.

"Suspicions may have fallen on many," he said. "It is hence of vital importance that any person named in the indictment should know what charges they face."

"It is in the interests of Leb as a whole and world community on the lam that this process should move forward deliberately and expeditiously."

Cassese stressed the hearing was of a legal nature and would not deal with the facts of the case, but would allow the court to thrash out "a set of legal imperatives to deal with human tragedies".

"We will also have to discuss how the world community responds to one of the most widespread crimes of today, terrorism."

Monday's hearing will include submissions by the prosecutor and the tribunal's defence office, created to protect the rights of defendants.

Neither the appeals judges nor the defence office have seen the indictment.
Bring some restaurant menus with the papers. This sounds like hungry work.
Posted by:Fred

00:00