[An Nahar] Paris considers the call of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat to "abolish" the indictment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as "inconsistent with France's stances," Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Sunday.Several sources in Paris told the newspaper that Jumblat has made his stance clear to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner last Thursday.
The Druze leader expressed fears that the indictment would lead to Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon and told Kouchner that France would be "held responsible if civil war was ignited in the country," the sources said.
However, the French foreign minister was also clear in his stance, saying Paris supports the international tribunal and does not interfere in the work of Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare.
The sources wondered how several Lebanese officials who had pleaded with France to establish the court are now demanding to abolish the indictment.
"This is unacceptable because France does not change its stances," the sources told al-Hayat.