Miqati Pledges to Arrest STL Suspects ‘If Found in Lebanon’

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon will remain committed to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing ex-premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination.

“It is not in our hand to eliminate … the tribunal by any means and we will proceed in this,” Miqati said in an interview with CNN.

He said that the cabinet will continue to fund the tribunal. Lebanon is responsible for meeting 49 percent of the costs for the Netherlands-based STL, the first international court with jurisdiction to try an act of terrorism.

Asked about Hizbullah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s stance that he will not hand in four suspects never in 300 years, Miqati said that the government will do everything possible regarding the arrest warrants.

“We are going to do it fully,” he said.

The STL submitted a confidential indictment and arrest warrants for four suspects in June. The names were not released but were leaked to the media and later confirmed by the Lebanese government.

Mustafa Badreddine, Salim Ayyash, Assad Sabra and Hussein Anaissi are all members of Hizbullah.

However, their whereabouts are unknown.

The Prime Minister reiterated the cabinet’s intention to do everything it can to arrest and hand over those who are indicted.

Miqati said during the interview that the government isn’t declaring its investigations and “we are not making any propaganda out of this.”

“All the officials and officers related to this issue, are doing their job perfectly as I understand, as all reports coming to me, we are doing this in full manner,” he told CNN.

Answering a question about those who doubt the cabinet’s intention to arrest the four men, Miqati wondered “if they are still in Lebanon,” reiterating that the government is doing its best.

The PM noted that everything that is in Lebanon’s best interest he’ll “do it fully.”

Lebanon has 30 business days to find and arrest the four named in the warrants.

If no arrests are made, the court can publicize their names and call on the accused to surrender within a month, after which the defense chief can himself appoint lawyers from his office's list to represent defendants in absentia.

Turning to the regional situation and the turmoil in Syria and how it’s affecting Lebanon, Miqati said: “My role is to protect Lebanon. I don't have to do anything with what's happening in Syria.”

He remarked that he “respects what the Syrians are doing. I wish that President (Bashar) Assad can do the reform himself.”

Miqati stressed the importance of preventing the consequences in Syria from “reflecting on Lebanon.”

*(Photo Courtesy of CNN)