BEIRUT — The leader of Hezbollah on Saturday accused the U.N. tribunal looking into the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister of protecting “false witnesses” who allegedly misled the investigation.
| They likely need all that protection, too ... |
The allegations come amid a Hezbollah campaign to undermine the tribunal investigating Rafik HaririÂ’s 2005 assassination. The Shiite militant group has questioned the courtÂ’s neutrality ahead of indictments expected to link Hezbollah members to the slaying.
| Just doing the bidding of their masters in Damascus and Tehran ... |
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah
| ... who won't show his precious face in public ... |
cited the case of four former Lebanese generals jailed for nearly four years in connection with the killing before being released for lack of evidence last year. He noted that the court agreed to let one general see his secret case file, but the prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, appealed the decision.
“Why is Bellemare insisting on refusing to hand over even part of the files of the false witnesses?” Nasrallah asked. “Why is there insistence to protect false witnesses by Mr. Bellemare and the United Nations.”
The Hezbollah leaderÂ’s comments came three days after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties not to interfere in the work of the tribunal, a message clearly directed at Hezbollah and its ally Syria. Ban rejected any attempt to discredit the tribunal and strongly defended its work.
| Great job there, Ban, great job. |
With indictments expected before the end of the year, the allegations of false witnesses hampering the investigation is fueled a sharp debate in Lebanon, and the Lebanese Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue Tuesday.
| Which is what the false allegations were intended to do. Those who want to stifle the UN investigation now have an excuse to do so. |
Speaking about next weekÂ’s visit to Lebanon by IranÂ’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah said the Iranian leader will not go to the border with Israel and throw a stone into the Jewish stateÂ’s as has been widely reported in Lebanon.
| Since the Israelis would then be justified in shooting back ... |
He added that Ahmadinejad will visit the southern town of Bint Jbeil that witnessed heavy fighting between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops during their 34-day in 2006.
| Exactly which patch of pavement will his motorcade pass over, and when? |
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