March 14: Hezbollah should submit to the state just like we did

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)’s upcoming indictment brings Lebanon closer to state-building and away from conflict, March 14 General Coordinator Fares Soueid told the media on Tuesday following his meeting with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Soueid said that the tribunal’s indictment is not a move toward chaos, but that it can be an opportunity to foster dialogue between Lebanese parties.

“We do not want submit to Hezbollah’s terms and we are not asking the party to submit to ours.”

“All we want is for Hezbollah to submit to the state just like we did.” He added : ” March 14 forces have a principle of adhering to justice, which doesn’t contradict with our adherence to stability and to inter-Lebanese dialogue.”

Aarlier today Soueid told Voice of Lebanon: There is no possibility for the settlement to fail. All Lebanese and Hezbollah should deal with the STL as a faits accomplis.

Tensions in Lebanon have been simmering for months as it has become increasingly apparent the United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon STL) is leaning toward charging Hezbollah , the Shiite Muslim group with killing Mr. Hariri on Valentine’s Day 2005.

The massive, 1,000 kilogram, car bomb that killed Mr. Hariri as he traveled along Beirut’s fashionable seaside Corniche, left a crater 10 meters deep, knocked down several buildings and killed 21 other people, in addition to killing the billionaire tycoon who had rebuilt war-shattered Beirut.

Lebanese politicians fear any indictment of Hezbollah members for the killing could lead to a situation where the group might militarily seize large parts of Lebanon, just it they did in May 2008, when it briefly grabbed control of the western part of Beirut and tried, but failed, to occupy the Druze stronghold of Mt. Lebanon.

For months now, rumors have hinted UN investigators have uncovered evidence a Hezbollah hit-squad carried out the killing.

Hezbollah’s leaders have denied the charge.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also warned all Lebanese last November not to assist UN investigators, saying to do so would be tantamount to an attack on his movement.

Nasrallah vowed to “cut off the hand” of anyone who tried to arrest a Hezbollah fighter.