The government is planning to bring back to the discussion table the issue of false witnesses which was a source of major controversy between pro and anti- cabinet forces during the tenure of former Premier Saad Hariri.

An Nahar newspaper said Tuesday that Prime Minister Najib Miqati discussed the issue with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi on the sidelines of the government session held at the Grand Serail a day earlier.

The European Union has expressed concern over “the absence of an explicit commitment” to the international tribunal in the cabinet’s policy statement.

The EU “expects that the new government will ensure promotion of stability, unity, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon in full respect of the constitution and the rule of law,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Council at the conclusion of its talks in Brussels on Monday.

The cabinet on Monday approved the appointment of deputy military intelligence chief Brig.-Gen. Abbas Ibrahim as the new director-general of the General Security Department.

Ibrahim was also promoted to the rank of Major General.

Hizbullah was allegedly behind the failed attempt in May to assassinate Moshe Kimchi, Israel’s consul in the Turkish city of Istanbul, Italian daily Corriere della Sera has reported.

“Hizbullah was seeking to assassinate consul Kimchi to avenge the liquidation of Iranian nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi at the hands of the Israelis,” the newspaper quoted sources in Washington as saying.

A delegation of European Union ambassadors stressed on Monday the need for Lebanon to fully implement United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 as stipulated in its government’s ministerial statement.

It welcomed in a statement after visiting the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon headquarters at Ras al-Naqoura the cabinet’s commitment to cooperating with the international force.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi announced on Monday that he supports justice and uncovering the truth in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri through the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on condition that the truth not be based on false leads.

He said during his visit to Jbeil: “No one can construct the state and head to the national dialogue if they believe that they have the ultimate truth.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that the developments in Syria demonstrated that it is impossible to carry on with the security approach over the country’s anti-regime protests.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “A new approach should be adopted through resorting to dialogue.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Monday that the Lebanese parties have no choice but to return to dialogue given the current division in the country.

He said: “All sides should participate in the dialogue because the failure to do so means that the problems will be transferred elsewhere.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams announced on Monday that he will bring up the issue of Lebanon’s demarcation of its maritime border at the United Nations on Thursday.

He said after holding talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “Lebanon must have access to its natural resources and must benefit from them and I want to see there is a law on exploration and exploitation fully implemented and foreign oil companies coming to Lebanon.”

Hizbullah will seek to adopt an attitude of defiance against the second phase of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s indictment, reported the daily An Nahar on Monday.

Informed sources said that the party “will not back down an inch from its convictions to avoid appearing that the indictment had affected its resolve.”