March 14: Bellemare’s stance spells failure for intimidation campaigns

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The March 14 General Directorate praised on Wednesday Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare for his “strong professionalism” in the investigation in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “His latest stands are “an indication of the failure of intimidation campaigns that are aimed at targeting the STL and its credibility, and the impossibility of influencing the independent investigation.”

Bellemare reacted to the recent rumors about the indictment by saying : People should remember this: “Unless they can read into my brain, everything else is just speculation.” Bellemare said he has not yet drafted the indictment ”

This comes after Hezbollah and its allies launched a well organized campaign against STL and its prosecutor . Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech last August that the indictement of Hezbollah in the murder of Lebanon’s former PM Rafik Hariri was written in 2008.

The pro-Syrian As Safir newspaper claimed last July that STL is expected to announce its first indictment of Hezbollah in September . Last month As Safir claimed that the STL decisions lie in the hands of the U.S..based on As Safir report , MP Walid Jumblatt joined the list of critics last month and repeated what the daily reported when he said “Washington is behind a decision to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicting people in the murder of former PM Rafik Hariri “.

Hezbollah – Al Ahbash clashes

March 14 General Directorate condemned the recent clashes at Borj Abi Haidar, saying that March 14 has already demanded that Beirut should be an arms-free city , which “would represent the first step in making the whole of Lebanon free of illegitimate weapons.”

“Laying down of illegitimate arms has become a popular, political, and economic demand,” the general directorate said in a statement after its weekly meeting.

Polish tourists

March 14 General Directorate also condemned Tuesday’s kidnapping of the two Polish tourists in the Baalbeck-Hermel region, saying it was a dangerous sign of some groups’ terrorist tendencies against Lebanese and foreigners.

It was also a sign of the presence of disruptors of the peace throughout Lebanon that are aimed at targeting the authority and credibility of the Lebanese state.

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8 responses to “March 14: Bellemare’s stance spells failure for intimidation campaigns”

  1. (French)

    Mr Bellemare, soyez donc rassuré et dormez sur vos 2 oreilles, nul n’a la prétention de lire dans votre cerveau.

    Par ailleurs, la critique de la STL tout comme de l’UNIFIL ne DEVRAIENT pas être assimilé à des campagnes d’intimidation.

    Vous noterez également l’échec inavoué de l’UNIFIL à remplir son rôle, preuve en est de la frontière ayant été violée (blague de l’arbre).

    Comme vous le rappellez si bien, Washington est derrière la STL, Washington est grande, Washington est puissante, mais Washington n’investit pas des milliards dans des guerres pour ensuite taxé d’intimidation ce qui a la base n’est que critiques d é m o c r a t i q u e m e n t faites.

    Dites que les autorités libanaises sont incompétentes, ça évitera bien des détours.

  2. (French)

    D’ailleurs tout ce lyrisme m’en inspire bien davantage, que l’océan Atlantique donne sur la Méditerranée est une chose, que ses thons voire ses maqueraux y trouvent refuge en est une autre, pourvu que le thon méditerranéen trouve encore subsistance en son écosystème.

  3. okay lets analyse nasrallah’s speech. when he says it was written in 2008, he’s not talking about the STL silly reporter.

    you gotta read in between the lines silly person.

    what he means is that certain countries, political parties have written it cos HA has realised that it might be the scapegoat for syria and israel being thatneither could be indicted as governments and countries are immune.

    just my thought cos what they hear behnd closed doors isnot what we read.

    the STL is definiely being used to pressure HA to dismantle and play ball with lebanese vision.

    i think in time HA will have to cos it will have no other choice cos if force is used, then it might lose its grip in the government sector and thats not something it might want to gamble on losing.

  4. (Still French)

    Mr Tony A,

    Le problème avec ceux qui veulent tout changer est que justement ils veulent tout changer.

    C’est ainsi que vous constatez l’apparition de parti tous plus loufoques les uns que les autres Future & Cie dont les noms s’apparentent davantage à des noms de chaînes cablées.

    La particularité d’un parti politique tel que le HA (that’s how you say it to be IN right ?) c’est que ce n’est pas seulement un parti de résistance (appellé terroriste en d’autres lieux) mais c’est également un parti politique représentatif d’une grande majorité de la population libanaise.

    Souvenez vous, lors de la dernière guerre opposant le Liban à Israel, c’est belle et bien la résistance libanaise représentée par le hezbollah qui a défendu les frontières.

    Extrapolez donc ce genre de violation à un pays voisin (Israel par exemple), et vous constaterez que la violation, qu’elle ait lieu au nord ou au sud concerne directement la capitale.

    Aussi permettez moi de vous poser une question, êtes vous plutôt thon méditerranéen ou thon expatrié en méditerranée Mr Tony A ?

  5. Abou Daoud Avatar

    Ole on pourrait croire que tu est Michel Aoun 🙂

    The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israeli military. The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon.

    The conflict began when Hezbollah militants

    HA attacked and was not able to defend Liban 🙂

    1. huh? wulak ya Abou Daoud menn wayn jebtelle hall khabriyye? HA kicked ass confronting the best army in the Middle East or have you forgotten the pictures of Israeli soldiers on stretchers while others weeping with their friends consoling them?

      A soldier was quoted: “I am happy I am leaving Lebanon, it’s a cursed country” while another kissed the ground of palestine and was happy to make it back alive seeing many of his pals succumb to the wrath of HA fighters.

      Did I miss something or you choose not to see?

  6. Abou Daoud Avatar

    Walid you missed 20’000 meters on the ground and 120 Km on the seafront …

    IDF was in Libanon and withdraw on order of IDF command. HA faught bravely but could not hold 1 meter of Libanese soil …. BTW : Hamas used the same tactics and failed . . IDF learned fast.

    And yes all arabs living here say “I’m happy to to have left my country” they stay …. If you want to be educated and know history best is NOT to live in any Arab or OIC country. That is why 75 % of young folks from OIC countries want to live in europe or the US ….

  7. George Haddad N.J Avatar
    George Haddad N.J

    Bellemare is right when he says that the STL is for all Lebanese and not, as many people think, the private crusade of March 14. Its creation was a landmark ruling designed to show that justice can prevail in a society where political murder has become part of the landscape, and it set a precedent to discourage the region’s rulers from settling scores with the bomb and the bullet.

    If we are to believe in the sincerity, skill and professionalism of the STL then, for the sake of Lebanon, we should support it to the hilt.

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