The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government to pay Lebanon’s 49% annual share of funds to the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon “as soon as possible” and urged it to address the issue “in a serious manner and away from vague stances.”
“What the camp bolstered by the hegemony of weapons does not comprehend is that the issue is related to a national and ethical cause and to the reputation of the Lebanese state and institutions,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Tuesday that peace would be achieved in Iraq, voicing Lebanon’s solidarity with the Iraqi people.
He said after holding talks in Iraq with its Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi and Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan: “We look forward to collaborating with our Muslim brothers throughout the Islamic world to reject violence, intolerance, and mistrust.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun slammed on Tuesday the Internal Security Forces, describing them as an armed gang.
He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “If only it were a militia because it is an armed gang that is working against the laws.”

The head of the Lebanese Democratic Party MP Talal Arslan condemned on Tuesday the various positions taken by some Lebanese and regional forces over the developments in Syria, saying that they reflect the ambitions of foreign powers that seek to weaken Syria.
He said after holding talks in Damascus with President Bashar Assad: “Syria has overcome its crisis and it will emerge stronger than it was before.”

Students supporting al-Mustaqbal movement and others backing the March 8 forces clashed on Tuesday during a ceremony on the birthday of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri at Lebanese American University in Beirut.
A student told Naharnet by telephone that supporters of Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement provoked the pro-Hariri students.

More than 60 people have applied to participate as victims before the STL in the case of Ayyash et al., announced the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a statement.
“A deadline for their applications had been set by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen on 8 September and expired on October 31,” it added.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour has stressed upon his return from Doha the importance of respect for agreements signed between Lebanon and Syria.
In remarks to As Safir daily published Tuesday, Mansour said he would return to Cairo on Wednesday to participate in the extraordinary meeting of the Arab League’s initiative committee to solve the situation in Syria.

British Ambassador Tom Fletcher warned Lebanon that any procrastination in funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would be a “bad sign” and pave way for impunity.
In remarks to An Nahar daily on Tuesday, Fletcher said non-commitment to Lebanon’s obligations to the STL would pave way for criticism that Lebanon belongs to Hizbullah and would obstruct the culture of ending impunity.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati continues to insist on the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon despite all the disagreements between members of the cabinet over the issue, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Sources close to the PM said the rumors indicating that Miqati will resign if the cabinet doesn’t approve the funding of the STL expresses the opinions of those political parties and not his position.
Full StoryThe parliamentary defense committee on Monday held calm talks on the abduction of Middle East Airlines engineer Joseph Sader in 2009 but opposition MPs hinted that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel didn’t provide the conferees with enough information on the issue.
Unlike the meetings of the human rights committee that discussed several kidnappings, including the disappearance of Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon, Monday’s deliberations were calm.
