As-Safir Reveals US Meetings with the STL to Recruit Indictment
Local Editor
As-Safir newspaper reported that several sources said that "quality communication" took place between the US administration and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon immediately after the fall of outgoing PM Saad Hariri's cabinet, through which the United States sought to exploit the indictment as a material in PM Hariri's favor.
The indictment would likely represent an element of political pressure on Lebanon, the direct results of which would be to bring Hariri back to power.
According to sources, STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's delivery of the indictment to Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Francen this past January was a prelude to its forthcoming publication, as the United States and some March 14 leaders wished.
According to the same sources, "the successive developments on the Arab countries arena foiled the plan to issue the indictment as a prelude to changing the balance of forces in Lebanon and cornering Hizbullah by the accusation [of involvement in former PM Rafik Hariri's assassination]."
Also, according to these sources, "the new regional reality forced a change in US priorities, particularly since the issuance of the indictment- while the world had its eye on the current upheaval- would have made it look wasteful and would not have served the purpose of labeling Hizbullah as a terrorist organization while giving Hariri and his camp a political thrust."
The newspaper also mentioned that "A delegation in Washington met with US Department of State officials among which is Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman and members of the US congress as well as of the US National Security Council topped by David Shapiro, Head of Middle East and North Africa department in the National Security Council.
As-Safir newspaper reported that several sources said that "quality communication" took place between the US administration and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon immediately after the fall of outgoing PM Saad Hariri's cabinet, through which the United States sought to exploit the indictment as a material in PM Hariri's favor.
The indictment would likely represent an element of political pressure on Lebanon, the direct results of which would be to bring Hariri back to power.
According to sources, STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's delivery of the indictment to Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Francen this past January was a prelude to its forthcoming publication, as the United States and some March 14 leaders wished.
According to the same sources, "the successive developments on the Arab countries arena foiled the plan to issue the indictment as a prelude to changing the balance of forces in Lebanon and cornering Hizbullah by the accusation [of involvement in former PM Rafik Hariri's assassination]."
Also, according to these sources, "the new regional reality forced a change in US priorities, particularly since the issuance of the indictment- while the world had its eye on the current upheaval- would have made it look wasteful and would not have served the purpose of labeling Hizbullah as a terrorist organization while giving Hariri and his camp a political thrust."
The newspaper also mentioned that "A delegation in Washington met with US Department of State officials among which is Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman and members of the US congress as well as of the US National Security Council topped by David Shapiro, Head of Middle East and North Africa department in the National Security Council.
Western diplomats informed March 14 officials that the indictment and Lebanon are currently at the bottom of their priority list, hinting that the release of the charges could be delayed for a few months, the daily said.
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