Friday, October 29, 2010

Ban calls intimidation of UN-backed Lebanon tribunal ‘unacceptable’

29 October 2010 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned this week’s attack against three staff members of the United Nations-backed tribunal set up to try suspects in the 2005 murders of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, calling such acts of interference and intimidation “unacceptable.”
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Mr. Ban stressed in a statement issued by his spokesperson yesterday, is an independent court set up at the request of the Lebanese Government and with a clear Security Council mandate.

“It is an important tool to uncover the truth and end impunity,” he said.

On Wednesday, two investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal and their interpreter were attending a pre-arranged meeting at a doctor’s office in Beirut as part of the investigation when a large group of people “showed up unexpectedly” and violently attacked the three staff, the Office said in a news release.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, several items belonging to the staff were stolen during the attack. The Lebanese army extracted the three staff members and brought them back safely to the Tribunal’s office where they were provided with medical attention.

In his statement, the Secretary-General called on all parties to refrain from interfering in the Special Tribunal’s work and from prejudging its outcome.

He also underscored the importance of The Hague-based Special Tribunal carrying out its work safely and securely, commending Lebanese authorities for their swift action in opening an inquiry into the Wednesday incident.

The Prosecutor’s Office denounced the use of violence, emphasizing that the investigation into the Hariri attack will continue undeterred by Wednesday’s incident.

The Tribunal is an independent body that was set up following a probe by the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) after an earlier UN mission found that Lebanon’s own inquiry into the massive car bombing in February 2005 that killed Mr. Hariri and the others was seriously flawed and that Syria was primarily responsible for the political tensions that preceded the attack.

The investigation of the murders is being carried out under the guidance of the Tribunal’s Prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian prosecutor and former head of the IIIC.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

SENIOR UN OFFICIAL WARNS OF ‘HYPER-DANGEROUS’ SITUATION IN LEBANON

New York, Oct 28 2010 4:10PM
A senior United Nations official warned today that the presence of heavily-armed militias and a recent escalation of rhetoric and confrontation have created an extremely dangerous situation in Lebanon, calling on all parties to do their utmost to reduce tensions.

“We know that in Lebanon you have militias which are very heavily armed and increasingly so. This creates a hyper-dangerous situation,” Terje Roed-Larsen told reporters after providing a closed-door briefing to the Security Council.

Mr. Roed-Larsen is the UN Special Envoy for the Implementation of Resolution 1559, which was adopted by the Council in 2004 amid concern about high tensions within Lebanon. It calls for free and fair elections, an end to foreign interference and the disbanding of all militias.

He said he believed that the situation in Lebanon is “the most critical issue of international peace and security today,” and instability in the country will have ripple effects across the region.

“This is why all parties in Lebanon, in the region and beyond must now shoulder their responsibilities to stop irresponsible and reckless rhetoric,” the official stated.

“Critical to this is also the disbanding and disarming of all militias,” he added. “Militias holding arms in Lebanon today is an intimidation in itself, particularly when it is paired with reckless and irresponsible rhetoric.”

In his latest report on the implementation of resolution 1559, which Mr. Roed-Larsen presented today to the Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern about the recent escalation of political tensions in Lebanon, and urged all parties to focus on strengthening the country’s sovereignty and security and on resolving issues such as the presence of armed militias.

“I remain keenly aware that the combination of mistrust among the parties and the continued presence of militias could lead to tensions and possible insecurity and instability in Lebanon and beyond,” he wrote in the report. “The country should not be used as a staging ground for furthering regional aspirations or promoting conflict.”

Mr. Roed-Larsen told reporters he believed that the Middle East is at “an extremely critical juncture,” adding that there are “crosswinds and a hurricane blowing up” in the region.

“And in the middle of those crosswinds, there is a tent standing, and that tent is critically upheld by two poles. One is the Palestinian one and the other one is the Lebanese. If one of those poles cracks, the whole tent will go down.”

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

ATTACK ON STAFF WILL NOT DETER HARIRI MURDER PROBE, SAYS UN-BACKED LEBANON TRIBUNAL

New York, Oct 27 2010 The United Nations-backed court set up to try suspects in the 2005 murders of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others has condemned this morning’s attack against three of its staff members in Beirut, pledging that the incident will not deter its investigation.

“The attack this morning in Beirut against staff members of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is a deplorable attempt to obstruct justice,” the Tribunal, which is based in The Hague, stated in a news release.

“Those who carried out this attack must know that violence will not deter the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a court of law, from fulfilling its mandate,” it added.

Two investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal and their interpreter were attending a pre-arranged meeting at a doctor’s office in Beirut as part of the investigation when a large group of people “showed up unexpectedly” and violently attacked the three staff.

According to the Office of the Prosecutor, several items belonging to the staff were stolen during the attack. The Lebanese army extracted the three staff members and brought them back safely to the Tribunal’s office where they were provided with medical attention.

“The Office of the Prosecutor takes this incident very seriously and is currently gathering the facts,” it stated, adding that Lebanese authorities have launched an investigation.

Denouncing the use of violence, the Office stated that the investigation into the Hariri attack will continue undeterred by today’s incident.

The Tribunal is an independent body that was set up following a probe by the International Independent Investigation Commission after an earlier UN mission found that Lebanon’s own inquiry into the massive car bombing in February 2005 that killed Mr. Hariri and the others was seriously flawed and that Syria was primarily responsible for the political tensions that preceded the attack.

The investigation of the murders is being carried out under the guidance of the Tribunal’s Prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian prosecutor and former head of the IIIC.

TENSIONS HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR LEBANESE PARTIES TO PUT NATIONAL INTERESTS FIRST – BAN

New York, Oct 27 2010 Voicing concern about the recent escalation in political tensions in Lebanon, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all parties to focus on strengthening the country’s sovereignty and security and on resolving outstanding issues such as the presence of armed militias.

“Lebanon is currently experiencing a domestic climate of uncertainty and fragility,” Mr. Ban writes in his 12th semi-annual report on the implementation of Security Council (2004) resolution 1559.

Adopted in 2004 amid concern about high tensions within Lebanon, the resolution calls for free and fair elections, an end to foreign interference and the disbanding of all militias.

“It is therefore imperative that the spirit of entente and respect for the principles of security prevail. The country’s political leaders must focus on strengthening its sovereignty and independence as well as its institutions,” states the Secretary-General.

“I urge all political leaders to transcend sectarian and individual interests and to genuinely promote the future and the interests of the nation.”

Mr. Ban says that more needs to be done to fully implement the resolution, citing the presence of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, as well as a “worrisome pattern” of armed incidents that continue to pose a threat to the stability of the country and the region.

“I remain keenly aware that the combination of mistrust among the parties and the continued presence of militias could lead to tensions and possible insecurity and instability in Lebanon and beyond,” he says. “The country should not be used as a staging ground for furthering regional aspirations or promoting conflict.”

He states that Hizbollah’s “significant military arsenal creates an atmosphere of intimidation and poses a key challenge to the safety of Lebanese civilians and to the Government’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force,” and calls on the group’s leaders to transform it into a solely Lebanese political party and to disarm.

The best guarantee that calm will be maintained and dialogue promoted in the country is the functioning of the Government of national unity, writes the Secretary-General. The National Dialogue, chaired by President Michel Sleiman and which brings together the country’s main political leaders, remains an important tool towards this goal, he adds.

“I emphasize that the main goal of the Dialogue should clearly be to bring all arms in Lebanon under the sole control of the Government. I urge the participants in the National Dialogue to demonstrate seriousness in addressing these critical questions of sovereignty and national defence.”

Mr. Ban notes that recent security incidents highlight the need for Lebanese security forces to do more to prevent and respond to acts of violence, and for the Government and all relevant political leaders to make clear that such acts will not be tolerated.

“While the Lebanese security forces are careful not to inflame sectarian tensions by appearing to take sides in armed clashes, they clearly have a duty to enforce Lebanese law and to protect Lebanon’s civilian population from harm.”

Deploring the continued Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Secretary-General calls on Israel to adhere to its obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions and withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar and cease its overflights of Lebanese airspace.