ID :
193958
Sun, 07/10/2011 - 09:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/193958
The shortlink copeid
STL indictments cannot foment sectarian strife in Lebanon
TEHRAN, July 10 (MNA) -- The recent indictment issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) can be analyzed from various perspectives.
The stance adopted by Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has been expressed in unambiguous language. Hezbollah believes that the decision to name four members of the Islamic resistance group in the STL indictments was a completely politicized action and there is no clear evidence supporting the charges. Hezbollah will not allow these people to be handed over to the STL for the so-called international investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Nasrallah openly declared that even if the tribunal lasts for three hundred years, the Hezbollah members will not be handed over.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has taken the stance that it will cooperate with the tribunal on the condition that it does not undermine the independence of the country. The question is whether the government’s decision to cooperate with the tribunal is going to infringe on Lebanon’s sovereignty or not.
The answer to this question is very important. But, given the fact that the current government has been formed by a coalition that includes Hezbollah, it seems highly unlikely that the state prosecutor will hand over these four men. From this perspective, the new STL indictment has no special implications for Lebanon’s current situation. In fact, the tribunal will be forced to halt the proceedings if it is not able to summon these people to court.
However, advocates of the new indictments are making efforts to impose sanctions on Lebanon to force the government to cooperate with the Western-backed tribunal. The main issue is whether the call to impose sanctions on the Lebanese government is a serious threat or just a political maneuver.
The STL has accused four Shias of killing a Sunni, so there is a possibility that it is meant to be a signal to begin fomenting sectarian strife between Shias and Sunnis. Therefore, many believe that, backed by certain Western governments, the tribunal is attempting to provoke Shias and Sunnis into engaging in a confrontation.
However, based on Hezbollah’s calculations, this devious plot cannot be realized in Lebanon’s current situation. The revelations made by Nasrallah about what happened behind the scenes have undermined the credibility of the tribunal. Moreover, the conspiracies against Lebanon and the STL’s conduct in recent months show how volatile the tribunal is. The tribunal first blamed Syria, but now others have been accused. It is possible that the tribunal will make more mistakes in the future.
But even if these errors are not corrected, the naive attempt to foment sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni in Lebanon cannot be realized.
(By Hossein Ruivaran, a Middle East expert based in Tehran)
The stance adopted by Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has been expressed in unambiguous language. Hezbollah believes that the decision to name four members of the Islamic resistance group in the STL indictments was a completely politicized action and there is no clear evidence supporting the charges. Hezbollah will not allow these people to be handed over to the STL for the so-called international investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Nasrallah openly declared that even if the tribunal lasts for three hundred years, the Hezbollah members will not be handed over.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has taken the stance that it will cooperate with the tribunal on the condition that it does not undermine the independence of the country. The question is whether the government’s decision to cooperate with the tribunal is going to infringe on Lebanon’s sovereignty or not.
The answer to this question is very important. But, given the fact that the current government has been formed by a coalition that includes Hezbollah, it seems highly unlikely that the state prosecutor will hand over these four men. From this perspective, the new STL indictment has no special implications for Lebanon’s current situation. In fact, the tribunal will be forced to halt the proceedings if it is not able to summon these people to court.
However, advocates of the new indictments are making efforts to impose sanctions on Lebanon to force the government to cooperate with the Western-backed tribunal. The main issue is whether the call to impose sanctions on the Lebanese government is a serious threat or just a political maneuver.
The STL has accused four Shias of killing a Sunni, so there is a possibility that it is meant to be a signal to begin fomenting sectarian strife between Shias and Sunnis. Therefore, many believe that, backed by certain Western governments, the tribunal is attempting to provoke Shias and Sunnis into engaging in a confrontation.
However, based on Hezbollah’s calculations, this devious plot cannot be realized in Lebanon’s current situation. The revelations made by Nasrallah about what happened behind the scenes have undermined the credibility of the tribunal. Moreover, the conspiracies against Lebanon and the STL’s conduct in recent months show how volatile the tribunal is. The tribunal first blamed Syria, but now others have been accused. It is possible that the tribunal will make more mistakes in the future.
But even if these errors are not corrected, the naive attempt to foment sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni in Lebanon cannot be realized.
(By Hossein Ruivaran, a Middle East expert based in Tehran)
