Jumblat: Had STL Been Independent, Some Countries Wouldn’t be Able to Delay and Speed up Indictment

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Tuesday that had the Special Tribunal for Lebanon been independent, countries would not be able to delay and speed up the issuing of the indictment.

He told the Syrian al-Watan newspaper: “The obvious interference lies in U.S. Permanent Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice’s recent statements on the STL that did not address the Dahiyeh incident, but she instead discussed arms smuggling from Syria to Hizbullah even though the issue has nothing to do with the international investigation.”

These statements are part of an organized American campaign against the opposition forces in the region, he said.

The MP therefore stressed the need to reach a settlement over the STL to end the crisis in Lebanon over the indictment, which is targeting the Resistance.

He noted however that major obstacles lie in the way of regional efforts, especially by Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to end the crisis.

“Containing the repercussions of the indictment lies in the hands of Prime Minister Saad Hariri,” Jumblat stressed.