The Syrian-Iranian backed Shiite Hezbollah movement warned Sunday that Lebanon faced a dark future after the anti-Syrian cabinet approved a UN draft for an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. "The ruling majority has a chance until the mourning period ends....or else they will get themselves into a dark tunnel," said the head of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad. | Sounds like a threat to me... |
| "You know we're unable to control ourselves... Ooops. I just peed myself again." |
| Allan helps those who can't help themselves, of course. |
On Saturday, the government of Seniora approved plans for the setting up an international tribunal to try suspects in the Hariri assassination. In holding Saturday's meeting, the cabinet - in defiance of objections of the pro-Syrian bloc - took the next step towards parliament ratifying the UN-proposed Hariri tribunal.
Because of the absence of five Shiite ministers and one pro-Syrian Christian, the meeting had been dismissed as unconstitutional The cabinet had delayed the meeting by more than an hour on Saturday, while an envoy held last-ditch talks with Berri to gauge the opposition's willingness to discuss the tribunal. "The solution now lies in Berri's hands," Communication Minister Marwan Hamadeh had said as he left the speaker's residence for the meeting.
The cabinet's subsequent decision was expected to increase tension with the Hezbollah-led pro-Syrian camp, which made clear the resigned ministers would only return if all of the country's religious and ethnic groups were represented in government, in accordance with the national pact.
Anti-Syrian ministers have regarded the resignation as a move to avert the formation of an international tribunal, at Syria's request. Syrian intelligence officials, and their Lebanese allies, have been implicated in Hariri's murder by a UN probe. Syrian authorities have repeatedly strongly denied any involvement in the assassination. Syria's ambassador to the UN was quoted as saying Saturday that Damascus wants the UN investigation to finish before the court is set up.