Hizbullah Sources: Fransen’s Decision Aimed at Igniting Lebanon
Sources close to Hizbullah have accused the Special Tribunal for Lebanon of seeking to ignite the situation in Lebanon and did not rule out the release of new names in the indictment in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s murder case to create instability in the country.
The sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen ordered confidentiality around the charges against Salim Ayyash, 47, Mustafa Badreddine, 50, Hussein Oneissi, 37 and Assad Sabra, 34, be dropped so that he can serve the United States.
“We have other and more important concerns at this stage. Mainly the protection of oil resources,” the sources said.
Hizbullah’s al-Manar TV station also said that Fransen’s decision “did not bring anything new.” The publication of the names of the four Hizbullah members was a “copy of what had previously been leaked.”
Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare alleges the four men named in the indictment were involved in the Feb. 14, 2005 attack that killed Hariri and 22 others in a bomb blast.
The four are operatives of Hizbullah, including Badreddine, a brother-in-law of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh who was assassinated in Damascus in 2008.
Ayyash and Badreddine face five charges, the STL said, including "conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act; committing a terrorist act by means of an explosive device; intentional homicide of Rafik Hariri with premeditation by using explosive materials; intentional homicide of 21 persons in addition to Rafik Hariri with premeditation by using explosive materials; and attempted intentional homicide of 231 persons with premeditation by using explosive materials."
Oneissi and Sabra also face a charge of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and are accused of being accomplices in the other four other charges leveled against Ayyash and Badreddine.
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