False Witnesses Issue to Make Comeback
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Hizbullah ministers have informed several cabinet members that they were planning to propose a discussion on the controversial issue of false witnesses in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination case during cabinet sessions.
Ministerial sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published Tuesday that Ministers Mohammed Fneish and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan are planning to open up the subject during government sessions.
But they ruled out the discussion of the issue at the cabinet meeting at Baabda palace on Thursday because only President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati have the authority to approve the agenda of the session.
The issue wasn’t discussed during the meetings of the committee that was tasked with drafting the cabinet’s policy statement and one minister had said that the false witnesses topic is now from the past, the sources said.
Hizbullah’s insistence to revive the issue comes after Phalange MP Sami Gemayel asked about the reasons behind the party’s silence on the false witnesses case which was the main reason behind the toppling of former Premier Saad Hariri’s government in January.
12 July 2011, 11:33
41
Mowaten, it won't be much of a help I guess... watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13yRxBStGyY&feature=player_embedded#at=22
It's hard to change what's in people mind and their perception!!
12 July 2011, 12:04
41
I think that we should bring-up all issues with the STL:
IIIC questionable path to justice, starting with Mehlis and ending with Bellemare visiting US embassies (but it's normal, it was one of the country paying for his salary... he probably visited KSA embassy as well but no wikis, there).
IIIC rules and procedures: there are so many questionable procedures that we should try to align such procedures with common standards (e.g. defense ability to question witnesses is very diminished)
Lebanon should have the upper hand on such Tribunal, and the Sierra Leone model is much better...
no Chapter 7, it doesn't make sense at all, it is not Lebanon that is accused and chapter 7 doesn't make sense
Ability should be given to Lebanon. to audit the process if not to control it
Lebanon should have the ability to investigate for the leaks as well as the credibility of the witnesses (let's say they aren't necessarily false witnesses)
No citizen extradition like US, France & others
12 July 2011, 12:32
26
Nonsense picture, because they will be beaten in the end. Stop jabbing about the STL...it's here, it's happening and some A-holes will be judged. End of story
12 July 2011, 13:42
33
mowaten... I know TM, he is good when it comes to deal with facts and journalism, he helps nuance things but he is like other journalists, too much one sided, it's unfortunate because he loses credibility.
I read his interviews and appreciate some of the work he does but taking few facts and elaborating a huge theory around is not much better than what the IIIC does (though it has more integrity since he publishes himself what he has to say... no leaks).
TM is also very much involved with Syria and Iran and I guess that this also helps remove some credibility.
That said, I agree that there is a possibility for non conventional explosives in Hariri attack but don't buy more the TM theory than the Wisssam Eid finding networks in Excel sheets when Mehlis team clearly stated in their reports that they brough all the necessary experts and software to scan and analyse the calls data (it is in his reports and this is how he got the 6 lines supposedly)
12 July 2011, 13:46
42
BTW, voltaire is doing a better job covering Libya than Syria.
I also give more credibility to TM than Mehlis but both are too bias in my opinion.
12 July 2011, 14:06
27
Hizbollah has already stated that they will not co operate with STL, so why waste valuble cabinet time bleating on aboout it? Isn't there anything else that sat undone for 5 months you could concentrate on to actually help people? How about providing internet speeds and rates that are better than Somalia?
12 July 2011, 18:56
13
I bet you any thing the 'false witnesses' aren't even a major part (if any) of the evidence that will be presented in the trial hence why the investigation took so long and the direction of the investigation moved away from these witnesses years ago.
They can cry and moan about the false witnesses as much as they want, but the evidence will be conclusive, too bad they will make up some conspiracy theory to explain it and the men will never face justice. Or their bosses for that matter...
