Over the past 10 days, lawyer Antoine Korkmaz -- who was appointed by Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s Defense Office as lead counsel for Mustafa Badreddine, the prime suspect in ex-PM Rafik Hariri’s murder – could not be reached on the phone.

Naharnet had repeatedly telephoned Korkmaz’s office in Paris over the past week and his secretary would only say that he was unavailable. It later appeared that he had been taking part in the coordination meetings held last week by the defense counsels at the court’s headquarters in Leidschendam.

Naharnet Exclusive Report – Leidschendam:

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has managed to baffle the defense counsels by voicing his opinion that “it is premature to initiate a trial in absentia.”

The military investigative judge on Thursday referred Syrian detainees Ammar al-Adib and Mohammed Bashlah to Tripoli’s Qobbeh prison after issuing arrest warrants against them on charges of arms trade and trafficking weapons from Lebanon into Syria, the General Directorate of General Security said.

“Any action the directorate does on the administrative and security levels stems from its keenness on transparency and commitment to laws and instructions,” it said.

Naharnet Exclusive Report – Leidschendam:

It remains unclear whether Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Daniel Bellemare’s health will permit him to attend Friday’s STL hearing aimed at discussing whether circumstances are suitable to try in absentia the four suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

Lebanon's premier has come under mounting pressure over the kidnapping of Syrian dissidents in Lebanon, with the opposition accusing his government of kowtowing to the regime in Damascus.

"The government of Najib Miqati is employing all diplomatic, security and political channels to back the Syrian regime," said Fares Soeid, secretary general of the March 14-led opposition.

Naharnet Exclusive Report – Leidschendam:

Deep disputes have emerged in the past week between the counsels of the four accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Hizbullah of refusing to contact other Lebanese factions in the country, saying that it opposes holding talks with “imperialists” or whoever it cannot persuade to support its agenda.

He told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published on Thursday: “Hizbullah’s security and military connections with regional powers will incur consequences on Lebanon if it launched a confrontation with the West and Arab world.”

Government is scheduled to convene at the Baabda Palace on Thursday with 57 articles on its agenda, the most prominent of which is the appointment of Fouad Khoury as deputy director of general security, reported the daily al-Liwaa on Thursday.

The appointment was suggested by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel seeing as Khoury is the longest serving officer at the General Security Department and he is among the six officers who joined the department in recent months at an order by the Shura Council.

U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser held a meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Bank of Lebanon Governor Riyad Salameh, and a number of representatives from the Lebanese banking community.

Glaser emphasized the need for Lebanon to take the necessary steps to ensure a transparent and well-regulated financial sector for Lebanon’s continued prosperity.

Rajaa Sharafeddine, the daughter of a Syrian opposition member who was allegedly kidnapped in the eastern Lebanese region of Aley, has demanded that Hizbullah mediate with its close ally Syria the release of her father, Shebli al-Aysami.

She told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Thursday that the Syrian regime “should not turn its mistake into a sin and it should therefore ensure his immediate release.”