Miqati: Bellemare Will Release Updated Version of Hariri Indictment

Prime Minister Najib Miqati ruled out on Monday the return of political assassinations in Lebanon, saying that any leads in this matter are being tackled by the concerned security authorities.

He told LBC television that will be broadcast later on Monday: “Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare informed me that he will release an updated version of the indictment in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.”

He did not give further details on when the new indictment will be released.

Bellemare visited Lebanon in January during a two-day farewell trip where he met with various Lebanese officials, including President Michel Suleiman, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi, and General Security head Abbas Ibrahim.

He released the first indictment in Hariri’s assassination in August in which four Hizbullah members were accused of being involved in the former premier’s February 2005 murder.

Addressing the clashes that erupted on Friday between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen in the northern city of Tripoli, Miqati remarked: “It was a coincidence that they broke out at the same time that I was visiting France.”

“All sides are adamant in rejecting these forms of violence and supporting the army in containing them,” he added.

“We will not tolerate any attack against the army and it will not hesitate in completely ending the unrest if necessary,” continued the premier.

In addition, he noted that all current political and diplomatic factors indicate that a war will not break out in the region.

Shooting broke out on Friday in Tripoli as pro- and anti-Syria gunmen deployed heavily in the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.

The Sunni-majority coastal city has in the past few years been the scene of intense clashes between Sunni supporters of the anti-Syrian opposition and Alawite Muslims loyal to a Hizbullah-led alliance backed by Iran and Syria.

On his trip to France last week and meetings with several high-ranking officials, including President Nicolas Sarkozy, Miqati said: “The talks were excellent and the officials understand the sensitivity of the situation in Lebanon.”

“They did not request anything from us that they know Lebanon would not be able to fulfill,” he stressed.

“They did not express fears that the situation in Syria will have any negative repercussions on Lebanon,” added the prime minister.

Regarding reports that France is seeking to reduce the number of its troops in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, he stated: “French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe asserted to me that the decrease in troops is not linked to political reasons, but a need to reduce spending.”

“Cooperation between the Lebanese army and international troops is excellent and both sides are capable of controlling the situation in the South,” he said.

“The French officials have assured us that any assault against the French troops will not force them to retaliate or withdraw from UNIFIL,” he continued.

In recent months, the French units had been victim to bomb attacks by yet unknown sides and speculation has risen that France will reduce the number of its troops in UNIFIL.

Miqati later visited President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace to discuss with him the latest developments and the results of his visit to Paris.