Huge development in Lebanon today.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the international investigation launched into the murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, finally hands its indictments over to the Lebanese government today. This was scheduled to happen in September of last year, and while I lived in Lebanon, speculation abounded as to when indictments would be issued.
The moment is upon us, and here are the results so far. 4 individuals are formally charged (some senior leadership, some special operatives)
- Mustafa Badreddine, the brother-in-law of assassinated Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh
- Salim Ayyash, head of Hezbollah's "Execution Unit," whatever that is
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the international investigation launched into the murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, finally hands its indictments over to the Lebanese government today. This was scheduled to happen in September of last year, and while I lived in Lebanon, speculation abounded as to when indictments would be issued.
The moment is upon us, and here are the results so far. 4 individuals are formally charged (some senior leadership, some special operatives)
- Mustafa Badreddine, the brother-in-law of assassinated Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh
- Salim Ayyash, head of Hezbollah's "Execution Unit," whatever that is
- Hassan Issa
- Assad Sabra
The fourth name has not yet been released. According to Haaretz, there is also a fifth arrest warrant to be served against a suspect who does not hold Lebanese citizenship
The names of those charged has been handed over to Lebanese security forces. The big question is whether they will attempt arrest, as Hezbollah has repeatedly warned that it will "cut off the hand" of anyone who tries to arrest its members over the matter. Knowing Hezbollah's track record, I believe them. Potential for sectarian unrest in Lebanon is now very high.
The fourth name has not yet been released. According to Haaretz, there is also a fifth arrest warrant to be served against a suspect who does not hold Lebanese citizenship
The names of those charged has been handed over to Lebanese security forces. The big question is whether they will attempt arrest, as Hezbollah has repeatedly warned that it will "cut off the hand" of anyone who tries to arrest its members over the matter. Knowing Hezbollah's track record, I believe them. Potential for sectarian unrest in Lebanon is now very high.
I recommend following http://www.nowlebanon.com/ for coverage.
I saw a headline about this and was wondering if you would post about it - thanks for the recommendation of nowlebanon, I'll keep an eye on it. I remember you saying last Thanksgiving that this may happen, so it'll be very interesting to see where things go from here.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, Greg!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Hassan Nasrallah responded today but said nothing new. He accused the tribunal of being politicized and claimed that many of the investigators have ties to the CIA and Israel. Gotta love a good conspiracy theory
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=287873