Clinton Phones Suleiman, Voices Concern over Mounting Lebanon Tension

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed Lebanon's independence and stability as she voiced concern about tension there when she spoke Wednesday to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, the State Department said.

Tension has been rising in Lebanon over the U.N.-backed tribunal, which is probing the 2005 assassination of Lebanese ex-premier Rafik Hariri, amid unconfirmed reports the court will indict members of Hizbullah.

The Iranian-backed group has warned such an eventuality will have repercussions in Lebanon and called for a local investigation into the murder instead.

In her call to Suleiman, the chief U.S. diplomat spoke about political developments, "including the troubling rise of tensions in Lebanon," the State Department said in a statement.

She "reconfirmed the importance to the United States of Lebanon's stability and independence and to building strong state institutions through our security and economic assistance programs," it said.

Clinton also stressed that Washington "fully endorses" U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's remarks that U.N.-backed "tribunal's efforts must go forward without interference," it said.

"She emphasized that efforts to discredit, hinder, or delay the tribunal's work should not be tolerated," the statement said.(AFP)