Mashnouq: Cabinet of Hariri Murder Suspects Cannot Implement STL Decisions
Mustaqbal bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq described the government as being that of the suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri seeing as it includes Hizbullah members.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon released the first phase of its indictment in June, as well as arrest warrants against four Hizbullah members suspected of being involved in Hariri’s 2005 assassination.
Mashnouq told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Sunday: “Such a government cannot be trusted to cooperate with the STL or implement its decisions.”
The MP also defended the STL’s release of the names, photos, and biographies of the suspects, saying it is part of its procedures.
Furthermore, he supported Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat’s call to tackle the indictment at the national dialogue and the cabinet’s responsibilities towards it.
“The dialogue must be held before Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen takes the decision to release the details of the indictment that will definitely hold facts whose consequences we must cater for before they happen,” Mashnouq stressed.
“Whoever is seeking to tackle any other issues besides the indictment and Hizbullah’s arms is delusional,” he added.
“Political life in Lebanon cannot persist under the threat of the weapons and a vision that incorporates the arms in the state should be reached,” he continued.
“We want the arms to enjoy Lebanese consensus and fall under the state’s authority,” he explained.
“We have the need for a resistance given Israel’s repeated assaults, but it should lie in the hands of the state and not in the control of a party,” said the Mustaqbal MP.
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