Haj Hassan: Any Indictment Issued by International Tribunal against us Is Unacceptable

During Tuesday's cabinet session, Agriculture Minister Hussein Haj Hassan stressed the need to ensure common living, democracy, and internal stability saying "Let us look closely at what the country is witnessing, while we talk politics others reply using sectarian language."

According to As-Safir Lebanese newspaper, Haj Hassan added "Note that Hizbullah did not and will not use sectarian discourse, we believe the Prime Minister is head of the government and is a Prime Minister to all Lebanon and not to a sole category."

"There are those who want to reconsider the ministerial statement and raise the resistance formula versus the tribunal every time something happens," Haj Hassan said, wondering in whose interest are such ideas.

Addressing the 14 March ministers, Haj Hassan asked "Where is the judiciary you are concerned about, why didn't it take any action when reckless accusations were made against Syria and other parties, factions, and officials during the past four years? Why did the judiciary remain silent when PM Saad Hariri talked about the false witnesses? Where is the judiciary and what is it doing?" 

During his statement, Haj Hassan referred to MP Nadim Jemayel (of the Phalanges party) who accused Syria of standing behind the assassinations, stating "We no longer understand you, do you accuse Syria or not?" Agriculture Minister also disclosed his shock as a Lebanese MP bragged that "Israel" supported his party, highlighting that "Israel" remains to be an enemy while Syria a neighboring country.

Haj Hassan tackled Hizbullah's reception of Major Gen. Jamil As-Sayyed in the airport VIP lounge, saying that the resistance party is an integral part of the government, asserting that no armed forces of the resistance were present at the airport's guest hall.

He referred back to the statement of Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud who said during the Cabinet meeting that weapons seen at the airport belonged to bodyguards of MPs and officials.

"We are like you, concerned about the blood of Martyr Rafiq Hariri. We assert to all that any indictment the Special Tribunal issues against us is unacceptable, such an indictment is rejected in advance," Haj Hassan concluded.