Draft U.N. Security Council Resolution Ready for Tribunal

Posted by Joshua on Friday, May 18th, 2007

(AP) — France, Britain and the United States proposed late Thursday that the United Nations unilaterally establish an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The draft U.N. Security Council resolution calls for the creation of a tribunal outside Lebanon with a majority of international judges and an international prosecutor under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which deals with threats to international peace and can be militarily enforced.

The issue of an international tribunal has since fueled a deep political conflict between Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's Western-backed government and the Syrian-backed, Hezbollah-led opposition. The conflict has taken on an increasingly sectarian tone and erupted into street battles, killing 11 people in recent months.

The resolution obtained by The Associated Press would put in force an agreement on establishing the tribunal that has been signed by the United Nations and the Lebanese government. It was circulated following Saniora's formal request for Security Council action, which cited the refusal of opposition-aligned Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to convene a session to ratify the U.N.-approved statutes to create the tribunal.

France, Britain and the United States discussed the draft resolution at a closed-door meeting with the two other veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, Russia and China.

"The resolution aims at helping the Lebanese to find a way out of the current dead end," France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said.

Since the resolution would put in force an already existing agreement between the U.N. and Saniora's government – rather than imposing a new U.N. tribunal – diplomats said the co-sponsors were hopeful it would not face strong opposition from Moscow, Beijing or other council members.

A U.N. investigation into the assassination is still under way, led by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz. His predecessor, Germany's Detlev Mehlis, said the killing's complexity suggested the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services played a role in Hariri's assassination. Four Lebanese generals, top pro-Syrian security chiefs, have been under arrest since last year, accused of involvement in Hariri's murder.

Earlier this week, Lebanon's pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud, urged the Security Council to stay out of the country's political infighting and not impose the tribunal.

But the draft refers to Saniora's request that the special tribunal be put into effect "as a matter of urgency" and says of the Hariri killing "that this terrorist act and its implications constitute a threat to international peace and security."

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Comments (23)


 
 
 

Fares said:

Alex from your friend Patrick Seale

http://www.elaph.com/ElaphWeb/NewsPapers/2007/5/234423.htm

and he is no opposition!!! He refutes all your arguments about external pressure and say how damaging keeping the prisoners is, not to mention comparing Syria to Israel that arrest and torture palestinians.

Is Bashar going to Listen to a wise guy and a firend of the family???he should have listened long time ago to his friends instead of his security chiefs who are mostly illiterates or know nothing about civilization

May 18th, 2007, 7:07 am

 

Alex said:

Fares,

If I were as influential as Patrick I would have written a similar open letter to the president. But I am not, and you are not.

I am very happy he wrote it and I love his carefully balanced tone (somewhere between being completely honest, and being respectful and supportive) and I support him in every word he said.

But, I’m afraid not much will change in the near future.

May 18th, 2007, 9:00 am

 

tony said:

hey Josh you going to owe me $100 quid mate
I would not mind it in dinner money
cheers

May 18th, 2007, 9:18 am

 

ausamaa said:

Assad abu Khalil can tell a lot about the “converted” Patrick Seal if you visit his angryarab site. Would Patrick kindly write such open letters to his new friends in Feb 14? Such letters would carry more wieght with such a smaller-caliber and more responsive audiences than it would with Syria’s President. Heck, and Lebanon needs such letters more than Syria does.

May 18th, 2007, 11:24 am

 

ausamaa said:

Did this just come in over Al Jazira Internatioal (titled: Dont They Wish?):

“Syrian citizens are evacuating Damascuse, Latakia, Homs and all other major cities by the tens of thousands, in the light of the spreading rumors concerning the expected adoption by the Security Council of the International Tribunal under Chapter 7.

” Many of the government offices, regional party offices and branches are being relocated to previously designated underground bomb-protected quarters.

” An erie silence has engulfed most of Syria and Lebanon. Fear and confusion appear to be taking a hold over millions of people in both countries.

” And in Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, Christians and Muslims alike, supporters of General Michele Aoun, Al Marada, Amal Movement, Al Murabitoon, Hizbollah, The large ,anti-Feb 14, Sunni community and Druze, have also taken to underground shelters in fear of what might happen once the UNSC resolution comes into effect.

” Our correspondants in both Damascus and Beirut, are reporting hectic political consultations all focusing on how best to save the Syrian regime and its Lebanese supporters. Such consultations dealt with a “time-table” dealing with how soon Syria and Lebanon will disarm both the Syrian Army and the Lebanese Hizbollah and Amal forces, and how to deliver the cadre and leadership of the Palestinan organizations primarily Hamas and Jihad to the Israeli authorities, and to which country to relocate the hundreds of thousands of armed and unarmed supporters of the Lebanese opposition movement. Tunisia, Yemen and even France have been considered as a temporary destination.

” As one informed Feb-14 spoksman speaking from just outside the US Embassy in Beirut said: ‘this seems to be the moment we have been waiting for …..’.

” Meanwhile, in Iraq, Afghanistan, the West Bank and Gaza..

May 18th, 2007, 11:53 am

 

majedkhaldoun said:

Now that the tribunal is going to see the daylight soon,I think in three months, the important thing , next, is Brammertz report, this will be shocking, denying will not help,from now on ,what is important is evidence against evidence,the disclosure will cause division in the army, and will give momentum to the opposition among the common people in Syria,the Arab goverment will abandon Asad,and increase his isolation.
Berri lost,and will have no influence anymore.

May 18th, 2007, 2:07 pm

 

ausamaa said:

Yeh… and all your nightmares would end and the Water Shall Recede…and you may even find out who killed JFK and Prince Di.., aint it nice!!

Cuddle up with your sweet thoughts in front of your television screen and wait for your version of the breaking dawn of freedome and democracy seeping through a Breaking News bulletin from Al Arabiya, Future or LBC, and then all wil be peaceful and green. It will sure happen like this..one day.. maybe..one day..maybe.. now say with me: one day..maybe..one day..

May 18th, 2007, 3:08 pm

 

norman said:

Ausama,
I like your thoughts.

May 18th, 2007, 3:35 pm

 

Atassi said:

Aussama, Norman and others.
No matter what happened in the near future with regards to the Security Council of the International Tribunal implementation. Regimes, parties, dictators, and other Groups interests agendas will come and will in due course disappear into the dust pin. ONLY GOD and SYRIA will last and triumph..Got Mr !!
May God bless and protect our home land…
and Aussam, Please don’t tell me to forget one more time. Since I will not !!

May 18th, 2007, 4:45 pm

 

ausamaa said:

Thanks Norman, and I just happened to have another revelation about the kind and sincere words of Syria’s friend Mr. Patrick Seale:

If Mr. Seale really wanted to deliver a good-intentioned heart-to-heart message to President Assad, why did he do that in public???? Why the theatrics?? and in Elaph???

Is it that his love for Syria and its people is so overwhelming that he just could not contain his emotions and had to announce this to the whole world? Or is it a manifistation of something which only Harriri money can buy?

Gosh.., they must think that Syrians and those interested in Syria’s affairs are so dump that you can sell anything to them.

May 18th, 2007, 4:51 pm

 

ausamaa said:

Atassi,

Ok, but do you think Syrians will accept to have God as a co-winner?

May 18th, 2007, 4:55 pm

 

Atassi said:

Yes I do. If you start thinking beyond the kingdom of the Assad’s and Assad’s for ever analogy. You may feel the same

May 18th, 2007, 5:11 pm

 

G said:

Oops, there goes you brilliant theory Landis!

May 18th, 2007, 5:23 pm

 

Fares said:

Aussama,

1) The letter was published first on Hayat, I got the link from Elaph.
2) If Alex or Landis decided to follow their conscience for once and deviate a little bit from your baathist red lines then I am sure you’ll be the first to claim that they got money from your loved March 14 leaders….

You are showing me that no one is immune to advising Syria even after helping out for 20 or 30 years…Show me how the country will ever reform by stepping all over those who are trying to help and the first victims are the prisonners of Conscience.

May 18th, 2007, 6:14 pm

 

Atassi said:

I would think even that the late Assad is turning and tossing in his grave, and cursing the hour he selected Bashar to inherit the leadership. 🙂

May 18th, 2007, 6:37 pm

 

ausamaa said:

FARES,

1-Is Jousua really a Rafiq ? Nasir, perhaps? Din’t know that,Wow!!

2-The country will change much faster when the enlightened elite, especially the expat one as they think they are more enlightened than regular Syrians, wake up and discover that it is better to go after our “other” vices such as red tape, Turkish implanted buerucracy, narrow self-interst, lining up at bus stands and counters, ignorance, believing in an array of modern myhts such as that the Bush Admin really has our interest at heart when it calls for regime change and behavior change,… you know.. small things like this! Then the same elites can “graduate” us to changing regimes and stuff.

May 18th, 2007, 6:43 pm

 

ausamaa said:

ATTASI,

That was gross, but I disagree with you; his son is a national hero in the eyes of tens of millions of Arabs at a time when other Arab national leaders can not look the camera lens straight in the eye, he is moving on to a second Presedential term against previous very long odds of even surviving, and he is the only Arab Head of State who said a big NO to the Bush Admin crazies and lived -with his country and people intact and even strenghthened further-to tell about it. And had his allies in Lebanon hand Israel its biggest defeat ever while he was at.

Can you beat that?

May 18th, 2007, 6:53 pm

 

Atassi said:

Please stop the national hero glorifying business, I am sure you are not buying yourself!! taking an entire county hostage and recklessly meddling in other counties affair is not considered as an act of heroism or bravery. Brave and national heroes don’t work and act using proxies. He should have direct all this wasted resources and energy for building a Syrian national front with an aim of starting a structural re-built of the Syrian Civil institutions, Economical system and start the road to implementing democratic societies. Then he would be The HERO in the eyes of the WORLD.
Congratulation he is yours for seven more years ….please keep him.

May 18th, 2007, 7:43 pm

 

Nur al-Cubicle said:

“It’s the mildest solution: the Security Council will not appropriate the tribunal as was the case for Rwanda or ex-Yugoslavia. The Security Council will be satisfied with simply unfreezing the situation.” This is how an anonymous Western diplomat explained the draft resolution aiming at ensuring the creation of the tribunal to judge the assassins of Rafik Hariri; Chapter VII may or may not be cited. Russia has said it will not veto the resolution but will abstain.

Via L’Orient-Le Jour

May 19th, 2007, 2:27 am

 

ausamaa said:

ATASSI,

Yeh, and what else..?

May 19th, 2007, 4:05 am

 

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