Former Lebanese PM Salim el Hoss ruled out any Shiite- Sunni strife in Lebanon over the special Tribunal for Lebanon ( STL) indictment, saying the “Sunnis and Shiites are one people .. there never was and there will never be a strife between them.”
During an interview with Sada Al Balad that will be published on Saturday he said “the abolition of STL is impossible at this stage , since the world community will be opposed to the idea and such a battle will be extremely tough, noting that the court (STL) should not scare anyone and it is possible to face its politicization , if any through legal logic.
He urged all concerned to be wise and exercise maturity in judgment by taking the proper initiatives to reduce the tension in Lebanon.
Similarly Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told Al-Markaziya news agency on Friday:”If Hezbollah is sure that it has no connection with the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , then the party should face the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment calmly and legally.
“Hezbollah should respond to the indictment through lawyers and the gathering of evidence”, Geagea said, adding that “it is not the indictment that will destroy the country, but rather those who say that it will cause destruction.”
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. Hezbollah and its March 8 allies have been calling for the abolition of STL
There are concerns that should the court indict Hezbollah members, it could lead to a Shiite-Sunni strife.
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