generalspeaking

Hezbollah Rules Lebanon

Doubtless most Lebanese abhor the situation in Syria, with the Alawite regime sending its troops to stifle protest through the use of anti-aircraft artillery, tanks in the streets and sharpshooters on rooftops to deliver their uncompromising message demanding that Syrians respect and honour their president and his ruling circle. For Lebanon, after all, has been through the miseries of a brutal civil war, and has now settled into an uneasy truce with itself.

After all, Hezbollah, a client of Iran and Syria, has become the de facto government in Lebanon. Lebanon has recently - of its many attempts that have led to failure - asked Hezbollah to surrender its weapons caches and to integrate its military with that of the country. A country attempting to succeed somehow, miraculously, against all odds, in establishing a degree of normalcy. But it remains under siege by Hezbollah.

Its political wing's success in elections to Parliament led the way, ensuring that its militias would be beyond the reproach of mere government critics. So when the United Nations' Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued arrest warrants for Salmin Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Anaissi and Assad Sabra in June, with Interpol issuing a "red notice" a month later, the authorities made a feeble attempt to collect the four.

The four which the Special Tribunal identified, given the testimony and the evidence they gathered and studied to arrive at their verdict of alleged guilt in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in the 2005 Beirut bomb attack that also killed 21 other Lebanese in a massive suicide blast. The outcome of the verdict was predictable, just as the response to the Tribunal's request for extradition was predictable.

But a long time has passed between June of 2011 and January of 2012, and the Tribunal is now resigned to the unmistakable and not too subtle message initially trumpeted in a theatre of outraged innocence by Hezbollah, that the trial must proceed in the absence of the accused. "The trial chamber concluded that all reasonable steps have been taken to secure the appearance of the accused and to notify them of the charges against them."

The Lebanese opposition bloc led by Hariri's son, former prime minister Saad Hariri is also resigned to the fact despite that the truth as they know it and which has been internationally recognized, the murderers of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri identified. A modicum of satisfaction. But although justice will follow its usual path, what will result will be hollow, with Justice embarrassed and looking the other way.

The Tribunal waited for Beirut to take meaningful measures to arrest the named suspects. A confidential report was received in December: "The trial chamber examined numerous documents from the tribunal's prosecutor and the Lebanese prosecutor-general, which detail the steps taken by the Lebanese authorities to apprehend the accused and inform them about the proceedings.

"These efforts included multiple attempts by the Lebanese authorities to find the accused at their last known residences, places of employment, family homes and other locations." The trial in absentia represented "a last resort to ensure the pursuit of justice is not paralysed by those who choose to abscond."

And in carefully following protocol and the letter of law in balanced justice, lawyers are to be assigned in defence of the accused. Although if they wish to participate they will be welcome to appoint their own counsel. "This announcement confirms that nothing will hinder the process of justice and the quest for the truth", according to MP Aammar Houry, of the opposition Movement of the Future party.

A farce and a sham; what stifled, strangled, elusive future?

Labels: Justice, Middle East, Political Realities

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, February 02, 2012