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Aoun: Hariri murder case should be tried in Lebanon
Because I'm not privy to the ins and outs of Byzantine Lebanese politix I could be wrong as easily as I could be right, but I've come to the conclusion that Aoun is bad news.
Kesrouan MP Michel Aoun said the detention of former security chiefs by the UN prove team was the right course to be followed and voiced his preference for "a mixed international and Lebanese court for the trial of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassins." In an interview with Ad-Diyar newspaper Aoun said responsibilities should be determined and the judiciary should be the only authority to issue convictions. Aoun explained that the court would be more immune and transparent if it is composed of Lebanese and international judges, adding that the trial should be held in Lebanon.

Asked whether he feared being embarrassed by his relationships with figures accused of being close to the former Syrian and Lebanese security apparatus, Aoun said he had forged alliances with "the least pro-Syria candidates." Aoun was strongly criticized for allying with Metn MP Michel Murr, and former ministers Talal Arslan and Suleiman Franjieh during the latest parliamentary elections. Aoun explained that Arslan, Murr and Franjieh had been allied with Rafik Hariri and Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt for 15 years and disagreed with them later. He said Syria provided Jumblatt with "weapons and money directly or indirectly so he would fight for the Syrian project." He said he was the only one who did not forge an alliance with Syria, which was why he was exiled.

Asked to comment about the hit list that prompted several figures to flee to France, Aoun said: "There are people who want to have a good time and they wrote the hit list." Several figures, including Beirut MPs Saad Hariri and Gebran Tueni, and Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, went to Paris claiming their names were on a hit list of figures marked for assassination. According to Aoun, the assassinations of Hariri, former Lebanese Communist Leader George Hawi and anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir were "highly organized," while the car bombs put in several areas were "very primitive." Asked whether he could be appointed as president, Aoun said: "As much as you pray for me," meaning if the people wished him to be so, then he would.
Posted by: Fred 2005-09-01
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=128299