Hezbollah secretary-general claims Lebanese PM Saad Hariri backed out on agreement to stop cooperating with international tribunal at the last minute, over pressure from US, Israel
Roee Nahmias
Published: 01.16.11, 21:42 / Israel News
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech Sunday, five days after his organization toppled the Saad Hariri government raising concerns Lebanon was heading towards another civil war.
Rock and a Hard Place
A day before an international tribunal files an indictment draft on the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Nasrallah accused Israel and the United States of being behind the investigation and claimed that Prime Minister Saad Hariri backed out of an agreement between the parties which was brokered by Saudi Arabia and Syria.
"We had reached the conclusion that we must withdraw the Lebanese judges, stop Lebanese funding of the tribunal and cancel the agreement between Lebanon and the court," Nasrallah said referring to the agreement. "And the Saudis told us they, as well as Hariri, agree to the three clauses."
Nasrallah claimed that "Hariri traveled to the US to seal the deal but without prior warning said 'Sorry, we can't do it.' We were informed that efforts had suddenly ceased, without prior warning. Who is it that stopped the process?"
Nasrallah further added," It's clear that the US and Israel were against these efforts from the outset…Hariri and his camp – they either never accepted this move and only surrendered to the Saudis or went along with the Saudis but were met by an aggressive US stance. If America tells him 'no' then it's 'no.'
Link to Source
No copyright infringment intended. Any violation complaints will be acted on swiftly.
It is the intent of Occasion2B to promote the free flow of information. Not to violate Copyright law.