Tribunal divides opinion in Lebanon

[frigidmagi]

BBC

It was the moment that Lebanon had been waiting for, fearing, apprehending and trying to stop, all at the same time.

The vote at the UN Security Council to establish the international tribunal to try the suspects in the murder of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will in many ways be a turning point for this country.

The court has been at the centre of one of Lebanon's worst political crises, with the anti-Syrian coalition and the government backing it while Syria's allies have been trying to prevent its creation, at least in this form.

The press in Beirut was deeply divided, reflecting opinions on the street.

"The tribunal is not the end, but the beginning of the road toward the truth," wrote the al Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by the Hariri family.

On the front page of the liberal an-Nahar newspaper ran the headline: "Justice in the face of terrorism."


We want the tribunal, we want the truth, we need to know who killed Hariri and all the others
Samir, Beirut

But pro-Syrian newspapers were critical.

"New York has imposed the tribunal on Lebanon. Who will impose harmony on the Lebanese?" asked as-Safir.

Al Akhbar also wrote: "Lebanon is now under Chapter VII, Lebanon is under international tutelage."

Opposing views

The stand-off between opponents and allies of Syria in Damascus prevented the approval of the tribunal through constitutional means. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora says this is why he asked the UN Security Council to deal with the matter.

Supporters of the Lebanese government
The tribunal decision has been met with mixed reaction in Lebanon

The opposition, led by the pro-Syrian movement Hezbollah, says the whole process of drafting the statute of the tribunal and approving it was steered by Syria's opponents from the beginning, in an attempt to frame Damascus.

Saad Hariri, son of the late prime minister, and current premier Fouad Siniora both gave a televised address after the vote and said this was a victory for all of Lebanon and for justice.

"The tribunal will allow for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to be revealed," Mr Siniora said, adding that "it is not directed against anyone, especially not sister Syria".

On the streets of Beirut, opinions are also divided. On Hamra Street, a popular shopping district, two juice sellers had totally different views, as they stared at each other from either side of the road.

"It's clear it's being imposed from outside, it's meant as pressure on Iran and Syria," said Ahmad. "The Americans need Lebanon, it's their new project in the region, because they're losing in Iraq."


The danger is that the opponents of the tribunal in Lebanon will escalate the violence further to a dangerous level
Paul Salem

But for Samir the tribunal is "100% a Lebanese demand. The Americans have nothing to do with this. We want the tribunal, we want the truth, we need to know who killed Hariri and all the others."

The only thing they can agree on is that business is bad and only getting worse.

History of assassinations

Lebanon has had two difficult years since the killing of the billionaire politician in a massive blast on February 14, 2005.

Including Mr Hariri, six prominent anti-Syrian figures have been assassinated in the last two-and-a-half years.

In total there have been some 20 bomb attacks over the same period, which the anti-Syrian coalition here blames on Damascus.

Pedestrians walk past a poster in Lebanon
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said it was a victory for Lebanon

Lebanon also has a long, sad history of unpunished political assassinations over three decades, and the hope is that the tribunal will put an end to this impunity.

On the evening of the vote at the UN, the streets of Beirut were deserted as people feared possible violence or bomb attacks.

Last week, three bombs exploded in Beirut and its suburbs while in northern Lebanon, the army is still in a stand off with militants from the Fatah al-Islam group.

The fighting has killed around 70 people so far, mostly soldiers and militants.

Continuing instability

Again, Saad Hariri accused Damascus of fomenting the trouble in further attempt to destabilise the government and undermine the tribunal - a charge Syria strongly denies.

But although the vote is now over and the tribunal is a fait accompli, it does not mean Lebanon's troubles are over.

The process of setting up the court will still involve political bickering and battling, and it is likely the instability will continue.

"The danger is that the opponents of the tribunal in Lebanon will escalate the violence further to a dangerous level," said Paul Salem from the Carnegie Endowment Middle East centre.

"The opportunity is that, now that the tribunal has been decided, the players in the region - in Lebanon and around the world - will come to the table and try to find a way out of the set of conflicts that is besetting Lebanon, and of which the tribunal is only one part."

It's interesting to me that Syria and it's puppets seem determined to fight this tooth and nail, especially from as far as I know the tribunal isn't even aimed at them... Yet.