Jumblatt urges Iran to help resolve Lebanon tension

During his yesterday’s meeting with visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt called on Iran to continue to maintain contacts with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to help resolve the tension in Lebanon,” National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Jumblatt expressed concern that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)’s indictment threaten Lebanon’s unity.

Tension escalated in Lebanon following reports that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will soon issue its indictment into the 2005 assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Last July, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that the tribunal is “an Israeli project” that will indict Hezbollah members. Nasrallah accused Israel of being behind Hariri’s assassination but refused to provide the evidence to STL to support his claim.

There are concerns that should the court indict Hezbollah members, it could lead to clashes similar to those of the May 7, 2008 Events when the Iranian backed Shiite militants occupied the Sunni part of Beirut and tried but failed to occupy the Druze stronghold of Mt Lebanon

Ahmadinejad, on the other hand said that the UN Security Council has given Israel the chance to assault the states of the Middle East, adding that the UN “does not care about Lebanon, Palestine or Iraq.”