tribunal with regard to its investigations and other proceedings that pertain to the crimes that fall under its jurisdiction.”
According to its website INTERPOL “provides law enforcement officials in the field with emergency support and operational activities, especially in its priority crime areas. A Command and Co-ordination Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can deploy an Incident Response Team to the scene of a serious crime or disaster,” in addition to many other services.
STL President Antonio Cassese signed the interim agreement on behalf of the STL, and INTERPOL’s Secretary-General Ronald K. Noble, signed it on behalf of his organization.
“The interim agreement, which entered into force on August 24, is aimed at enabling the STL to request assistance from INTERPOL for the purposes of the ongoing investigations carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor of the Tribunal and other proceedings undertaken by the Tribunal in discharging its mandate, until a more comprehensive cooperation agreement that is currently being negotiated between the two bodies is concluded and enters into force,” the STL’s press release said.
STL has come under attacks recently . According to sources of al Sharq Alawsat newspaper : The recent attacks are aimed at "hindering the work of international investigators who began settling down at the tribunal's office in Beirut."
"The campaign started with the arrival of a delegation from the court to lay the groundwork (for their investigation) despite obstacles facing some aspects of their mission which we are trying to overcome," the source added.
Another newspaper Al Liwaa has reported that investigators have recently questioned around 150 people, in a move that it described as "the last checkup" on the list of names of those involved or have information on Hariri's Feb. 2005 killing.
The sources of Sharq Alawsat newspaper are saying: “What is happening now is nothing more than the launching of war against the court ."
The purpose of STL is to find and try the killers of former prime minister Rafik Hariri , who was assassinated on February 14 , 2005 in downtown Beirut .
Until last May Syria was the primary suspect in the assassination of Hariri . But last May the German magazine Der Spiegel published a report in which it revealed that Hezbollah was behind Hariri’s murder and it tried to clear Syria’s name
The Syrian regime according to Sharq Alawsat sources has entrusted a legal office with following up developments at the tribunal . The sources have questioned Syria’s action in this regard and told the newspaper : “Would a legal office follow up on a case if the side that commissioned it is not involved in the case?"
The question is how much help can INTERPOL provide the STL if the whole issue becomes politicized , since this organization does not get involved in political issues
Friday
8:12pm one person killed and 2 wounded in gunfire as a result of a personal clash in Qebbe Tripoli
7:45pm clashes involving rockets in Hermel between the Allo and Naser Eddine neighborhoods the death of ISF officerناصرالدين Nasser eddine
6: 50 pm The White House said Friday it regretted Israel's reported plans to build new settlements, calling it "inconsistent" with its international commitments to the peace process.
6:20 pm A NATO jetfighter blasted two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing up to 90 people, including insurgents and dozens of civilians who had rushed to the scene to collect fuel
6;00 pm Al Markaziyah sources: Hezbollah security apparatus with help from The Lebanese communications ministry were able to pin point Ezzeddine’s location in southern Beirut . Hezbollah then raided his location arrested him and handed him over to the judicial authorities
5:00pm Unknown assailants shot and killed a policeman in Hermel in northeast Lebanon.
3:35 pm Al-Arabiya TV : Hezbollah officials MP Mohammed Raad, Amin Sherri and Hajj Wafiq Safa are all affected by Lebanese businessman Salah Ezzeddine's bankruptcy. Hezbollah MP Hussein al-Hajj has filed a lawsuit against Ezzeddine requesting reimbursement of his
$ 200,000 that he had invested with him.
3:30 pm CNN Unemployment in the USA jumps to a 26-year high of 9.7%, even as employers cut the smallest number of jobs since August 2008
2:51pm : Alfa cellular company sold 25 unique cellular line numbers for $600,000
1:40pm The Democratic Left Movement expressed concerns about the policies aimed at putting obstacles to cabinet formation and urged Hariri to hold on to Constitutional norms.
1:22 pm Former PM Salim el Hoss: In order to separate between the executive and legislative branches the MPs should not be in the government
1:20 pm Al-Akhbar : United Arab Emirates security authorities have expelled in the past two months more than 45 Lebanese businessmen and employees for security reasons and most of those expelled are Shiites.
1 :16 pm Caretaker Minister Talal Arslan: the government crisis is not a crisis of demands but it is a crisis of the regime and such regimes produce crises
1:10 pm BBC : Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will approve more construction in West Bank settlements before considering a halt to building work, officials say.
1;00 pm The case of Salah Ezzeddine has drawn comparisons in Lebanon with that of Bernard Madoff, the New York failed financier whose multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme wiped out thousands of investors and charities worldwide. Madoff was sentenced in June to 150 years in prison.
12:53pm The National Liberal Party: Continuous attempts to put obstacles to cabinet formation means there is an intentional effort to harm all the nation.
12:50 pm Al-Sharq Al-Awsat : Zahle MP Okab Sakr warned against a new round of assassinations and security breaches before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issues its indictment in the case of the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.
12:30pm Ministry of Communications: commemorative stamps will be in circulation starting September 17
12:16pm Siniora: It is natural the Lebanese people are upset about the waste of time that is causing the delay in the formation of the cabinet . The Lebanese are looking forward to see a strong and united coalition
12:06pm Taymour Walid Jumblatt, toured the Hasbayya district accompanied Abu Faour and met a number of PSP members and key officials of the region
12:03pm Khalifa told Sawt al Sada: neither Hezbollah nor Amal will participate in the new government without the Free Patriotic Movement and all the talk about the relationship between Berri and Aoun is just rumors
11:50 Al Manar TV: Energy Minister Alain Tabourian said that he has reached an agreement with President Michel Suleiman and outgoing Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to find a legal method to buy power generators in order to resolve the problem of electricity shortages in Lebanon.
10:55 Minister Elie Marouni told Future News: If Aoun keeps holding onto his conditions and if Hezbollah and Amal insist that their participation in cabinet should be linked to Aoun’s participation, then there is no solution to the problem . I hold the Lebanese judiciary responsible for inaction with regards to what Jamil al-Sayyed said , because its statement was more like appeasing him
10:17 Minister Aoun told "Future news:" We hope that the PM designate will show some humility and refrain from provocative rhetoric so that through dialogue will will be able to resolve the impasse facing the formation of the government
10:16 Former Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis told Now Lebanon : If the cabinet formation remains stagnant, then President Michel Suleiman might sign the cabinet decree even if Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun refuses to participate in the new government.
09:51 42 wanted people were arrested for committing criminal acts
09:45 Mikati: Betting on the time factor by exerting pressure in the formation of the new government is the wrong bet and does not achieve any results
09:38 Awan newspaper : MPs and cadres of Hezbollah have filed lawsuits against Ezzeddine because of losing their money after his declaration of bankruptcy. Some are referring to Ezzedinne’s method in dealing with his investors a “Ponzi scheme”
09:26 A Lebanese accused of embezzling 360 thousand pounds in Egypt using fake credit cards was arrested
09:20 majority sources told "Okaz": Hariri will present to the president before he travels to New York Solomon a proposal on government formation, whatever is the outcome of the negotiations with Aoun
8:40 EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana told al-Arabiya: It is difficult to understand why an agreement hasn’t been reached on cabinet formation after distinctive elections.
8:30 Legal expert Hassan al-Rifai told VOL: Change in ministries can only take place legally. This would be impossible before cabinet receives a vote of confidence from parliament.
7:40 MP Robert Ghanem told VOL: The PM-designate should propose a cabinet that reflects the results of the elections and does not eliminate anyone . If any party rejects the proposal then it is its problem
07:13 MP Sami Gemayel announced at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Phalange Party cabinet that he would not attend any meeting from now on in which Jumblatt is participating
0711 one of the majority MPs revealed that Jumblatt deliberately and in a harsh manner tried to silence the Christian MPs during the last March 14 meeting in Quraytem
06:54 delay in setting a date for President Suleiman with Obama because of the overcrowding of the agenda of the latter
06:23 Emile Emile Lahoud: There are two factors that can delay the forming of a government in Lebanon an internal and external. In Lebanon we always need the regional factor which is not currently available
06:19 sources of the "Free Patriotic Movement": if the negotiations will be like those of the Baabda ( Aoun -Hariri )and Quraytem ( Bassil Hariri ) meetings then the requirements of another Aoun -Hariri meetings have not been met
06:07 following the Quraytem Iftar Harir met privately with the representatives of Berri and Nasrallah during which Berri confirmed he will not back down from the choice of national unity government
06:01 Informed Sources: Hariri alluded to his intention to send a proposal of a cabinet line-up to President Suleiman before his Sept 23 trip to New York
05:39 "An-Nahar": Hariri and Aoun truce is on shaky ground
05:33 On September 25 the President of the Republic of Lebanon will address the United Nations General assembly in New York
05:23 political sources : the government formation process has reached an impasse and now it is in need of quality initiatives
Thursday
08:40 pm The Lebanese army arrested four wanted men, including Ali Mohammed Ismail , a top criminal, in house raids in the village of Brital in the Bekaa Valley. Ismail was arrested after being shot in the leg by Lebanese troops. Drugs and weapons and 6 stolen cars were confiscated by the army
08:30 pm SANA: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Damascus on Thursday evening and went straight into talks with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Al-Assad. He is expected to head to Iran from Damascus
8:20pm The Special Tribunal for Lebanon and INTERPOL have concluded an interim agreement on INTERPOL’s assistance to the international court.
7:40pm Sources told Al Manar TV on the Hariri-Bassil meeting: The atmosphere has not changed and was rather negative as Hariri did not provide anything new regarding ministerial portfolios.
7:30 pm: In China, a swine flu vaccine was approved on Thursday, which also works with one dose, according to its maker, Sinovac Biotech Ltd
07:07pm La Revue du Liban: Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh announced on Thursday that there was a $16 billion cash flow into Lebanon in the last 12 months, especially during the first quarter of 2009, adding that 90% of the flow was exchanged from US dollars to Lebanese liras.
