The Phalange party which is headed by former president Amin Gemayel issued a statement following its Monday meeting,stating that “taking the Lebanese government hostage in an attempt to stop the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is a crime.”
The Phalange party reiterated its support for the STL, saying that the court is necessary to achieve justice in the country.
The party also called for not interfering in Lebanon’s domestic affairs.
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.
Some leaders are concerned that should the court indict Hezbollah members, it could lead to a Shiite-Sunni strife, others aren’t as worried and see this as a desperate intimidation by Hezbollah against truth and justice that will only lead to more damages to its image in both Lebanon and the entire region.
Al Akhbar newspaper reported last week that Hezbollah has prepared a plan to take over Lebanon when STL issues its indictment for the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Nasrallah said in his speech last Thursday that Hezbollah will not allow the arrest of any of its members if indicted by STL : “Any hand that will touch any of them will be cut off, ” he said
On October 28, he called on all Lebanese to boycott the STL and to end cooperation with its investigators.
Last Saturday MP Jean Oghassabian told MTV: Today, the whole of Lebanon is waiting and wondering when would Hezbollah act militarily and cripple the state institutions, and what March 14’s possible reaction will be.
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