The United States will help Lebanon investigate the car bombing in Beirut that killed Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, a staunch critic of Syria, the State Department said Sunday.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke by phone Sunday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati to again condemn Friday's attack that killed Hasan and two others, department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
Full StoryGrand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani condemned on Saturday the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, saying it is aimed at creating strife in Lebanon.
He said during a televised address: “The goals of the crime are very clear and it is well-known who will benefit from it.”
Full StoryThe March 14 forces condemned on Friday the assassination of the head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, holding Prime Minister Najib Miqati personally responsible for the crime.
It said in a statement after an extraordinary meeting in the wake of the assassination: “The government holds the political and moral accountability for the plan to target Lebanon's stability.”
Full StoryHizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's acknowledgment of the party's possession of a drone has renewed interest in the possible Israeli involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.
Sources following the investigation noted to the daily Nasrallah's 2010 conference during which he presented images obtained from Israeli drones that followed the slain former premier's travel route in Lebanon.
Full StoryLebanon has ignored repeated requests to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing former Premier Rafik Hariri's 2005 murder, defense lawyers said Friday.
Lawyers also lambasted prosecutors before the tribunal for delays in handing over evidence they needed for the trial in absentia of four Hizbullah members accused of involvement with the bombing.
Full StoryHead of the international tribunal's defense office Francois Roux is expected to arrive in Beirut in the coming week to meet with senior Lebanese officials.
According to An Nahar newspaper published on Friday, Roux will hold talks with several politicians, diplomats and Head of Beirut Bar Association Nuhad Jabr and Head of Tripoli's Bar Association Bassam Dayeh.
Full StorySpecial Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Friday that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury against Mustafa Badreddine don't affect the trials.
“The judges will only take into consideration the evidence presented against him concerning” the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 21 others, Youssef said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.
Full StoryA mansion overlooking London's Hyde Park that belonged to late Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri is on sale for a British record £300 million ($484 million, 372 million euros), a report said Thursday.
If it meets its asking price the seven-storey, 45-bedroom home would more than double the previous British house price record of £140 million, the Financial Times said.
Full StoryFormer General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed slammed on Tuesday the investigations with former minister Michel Samaha, saying that he should not be interrogated by his “enemies”.
He said during a press conference: “Samaha asserted that I was not involved in any detail linked to the case.”
Full StoryThe Trial Chamber confirmed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's jurisdiction to try those accused of committing the February 14, 2005 attack and connected cases, in a decision published on Monday, it announced in a statement.
It said: “The Trial Chamber dismissed all the motions of the defense counsel, who argued that the tribunal was set up illegally, violates Lebanese sovereignty, has selective jurisdiction and does not guarantee the accused a right to fair trial.”
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