Nasrallah Calls on Miqati to Put 'False Witnesses' on Cabinet Agenda

by Naharnet Newsdesk over 12 years

Timeline

Nasrallah wrapping up his address: I’ve heard that “Hizbullah has acknowledged the court’s legitimacy and that it only has to hand over the accused,” but when did we say that. PM Miqati did not bring this issue to cabinet because he was aware that we would vote against it, even if that might lead to his resignation. But what does that have to do with us if he acted as he saw fit. We put the interest of the Lebanese above all else. over 12 years

Nasrallah: I want to address the premier concerning two issues: First, he has been stressing his keenness on justice and saying that as a premier his patriotism and Sunni belonging do not allow him to refrain from financing. Given his same position, I tell PM Miqati that his commitment to justice and patriotism and Sunni belonging oblige him to do justice to other aggrieved people, such as the Four Generals, who comprise two belonging to the dear Sunni sect, as well as other employees. You must do justice to them by putting the issue of false witnesses on the cabinet’s agenda and referring it to the Judicial Council. Your justice and Sunni belonging oblige you to do that as well. You are before a new test, we have remained silent over this issue, but the case must be followed up and do not waste time. over 12 years

Nasrallah: Despite our rejection of financing the tribunal, we won’t create a problem in the country and we will put the interest of the Lebanese above all else. over 12 years

Nasrallah: PM Miqati has said that, in his capacity as premier, he can pay money to fund (the STL), but I’ve been told that this money will come from donations by certain sides and nations that will be deposited into the account of the High Relief Commission. What’s bizarre is that certain countries were willing to sponsor an agreement to end (Lebanon’s) cooperation with the tribunal, but now financing it has become an obligation. So the issue is not about justice. We do not approve this assessment and the premier took the decision outside constitutional institutions. over 12 years

Nasrallah: FPM’s ministers are right concerning their files and they had the right to boycott the cabinet session. We have not changed our mind: in our opinion, this court is unconstitutional, politicized and sponsored by Israel and the U.S., and it will remain so until the opposite is proven. We still reject any form of financing it or cooperating with it. Had a (cabinet) session been held to discuss the issue of financing, we would’ve voted against it. And had the issue been put to the vote of parliament, we would’ve also voted against. We reject to pay the money of the Lebanese people to finance such a tribunal. Our stance has not changed. over 12 years

Nasrallah: If anyone believes that they can employ the might of a certain side to eliminate the other parties I tell them that they are delusional. This is a futile policy and it will lead nowhere. I reassure everyone that we do not want to engage in a battle with anyone in the Lebanese arena. The May 7 clashes had their own circumstances, and you were the ones who started the aggression. If someone is seeking to battle us, they can already know the battle’s result. I call on them to be reasonable and to talk politics. over 12 years

Nasrallah: What is the aim of those using sectarian incitement? Where do they want to reach? What purpose are they serving and whom are they serving? If they believe that this incitement will scare and terrorize the other parties in order to subjugate and silence them and push them to declare surrender, I tell those instigators that they are delusional. They should keep in mind that we were subjected to the ugliest psychological warfare, which was aimed at undermining our will and resolve, but it failed to do so. over 12 years

Nasrallah: It seems that this incitement in Tripoli was part of efforts to mobilize their supporters and create a seminal event, but that didn’t happen. I want to note that the relations between us and these patriotic brothers and friends in Tripoli and the North are relations of honesty, loyalty and honor. over 12 years

Nasrallah: I want to talk about Tripoli, because they have nothing to do but attack Hizbullah … Our media warfare is with the NATO and the U.S. and these people are small parts in it. If Mustaqbal considers its allies as followers, we do not think of our allies in that manner. Our allies have existed in Tripoli before you and even before the creation of Hizbullah and they are real popular forces that have proven to possess a significant political weight, despite the electoral bribery and incitement against them, in addition to the huge local and Arab “media machine”. Nevertheless, they defied bribery dollars, insults, intimidation and accusations. over 12 years

Nasrallah: Mustaqbal’s media outlets reported that Hizbullah members had stormed, along with army intelligence agents, the town of Arsal, which is a Sunni town. They also said that Hizbullah was assaulting Arsal’s residents. The MPs of the North attacked the army, but it did not respond. What is the purpose behind this days-long uproar over a baseless incident? Does the Mustaqbal Movement want to engage Baalbek in a sectarian conflict? Do the interest of the Arab Spring and the unity of the Lebanese stance require that? I hope they would answer me using logic and not insults. over 12 years

Nasrallah: I call on the Mustaqbal Movement and its media and officials: stop this media policy. Especially that they are using sectarian incitement and unfounded reports. over 12 years

Nasrallah: First, it’s clear that there’s a political camp inciting sectarian feelings against the other camp, and we must pay attention to this issue. Let’s agree that this is a political dispute that has nothing to do with religion and sects and that it has to do with political views and developments. Let’s agree that criticizing the political leaders, and even the religious leaders, is not tantamount to an attack on the sect. If the president is Maronite and the Speaker is Shiite, that does not mean that the Christians or the Shiites are being criticized, and thus criticizing the premier is not tantamount to criticizing the Sunni sect. over 12 years

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a televised address on the latest developments: I will tackle two topics and the first will be an introduction to the second: the political rhetoric in the country and the issue of the STL. over 12 years

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday his party would not “create a problem in the country” over Premier Najib Miqati’s decision to fund the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, in order to preserve the national interest.

"Even though we remain opposed to the tribunal, we are not going to cause trouble as we place the country's national interest above all else," Nasrallah said in a televised address.

His comments came a day after Miqati, following months of political wrangling, announced that he had transferred Lebanon's 49 percent annual share of funding to the STL, which is probing the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.

Nasrallah said he had decided not to stand in Miqati's way to ensure stability and avoid a government collapse.

He underlined, however, that this did not mean his party endorsed Miqati's decision or supported the tribunal.

"We have not changed our mind: in our opinion, this court is unconstitutional, politicized and sponsored by Israel and the U.S., and it will remain so until the opposite is proven,” Nasrallah declared.

“We still reject any form of financing it or cooperating with it. Had a (cabinet) session been held to discuss the issue of financing, we would’ve voted against it. And had the issue been put to the vote of parliament, we would’ve also voted against.

“We reject to pay the money of the Lebanese people to finance such a tribunal,” Hizbullah’s leader stressed.

He revealed that he has been “told” that the money to finance the STL would come from “donations by certain sides and nations that will be deposited into the account of the High Relief Commission.”

“What’s bizarre is that certain countries were willing to sponsor an agreement to end (Lebanon’s) cooperation with the tribunal, but now financing it has become an obligation. So the issue is not about justice. We do not approve this assessment and the premier took the decision outside constitutional institutions,” Nasrallah noted.

He said Miqati has been stressing his “keenness on justice” and saying that “as a premier his patriotism and Sunni belonging do not allow him to refrain from financing” the court.

“Given this same position, I tell PM Miqati that his commitment to justice and patriotism and Sunni belonging oblige him to do justice to other aggrieved people, such as the Four Generals, who comprise two belonging to the dear Sunni sect, as well as other employees,” Nasrallah added.

He was referring to Jamil Sayyed, Mustafa Hamdan, Ali al-Hajj and Raymond Azar -- four generals who had been held by Lebanese authorities for nearly four years without charge over Hariri’s assassination.

They were released in April 2009 following a ruling from the STL. In the ruling, the tribunal's first since opening its doors, Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen granted a request by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare who said the available evidence was "not sufficiently credible" to hold the generals.

“You must do justice to them by putting the issue of false witnesses on the cabinet’s agenda and referring it to the Judicial Council,” Nasrallah said, addressing Miqati.

“Your justice and Sunni belonging oblige you to do that as well. You are before a new test, we have remained silent over this issue (false witnesses), but the case must be followed up and do not waste time,” he called on the premier.

Hizbullah and its allies were fiercely opposed to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and in January had forced the collapse of the government of Saad Hariri, the slain leader's son, over the issue.

Miqati last week had threatened to resign should his Hizbullah-led government refuse to fund the Netherlands-based STL, which has indicted four Hizbullah operatives for Hariri's murder.

The $32 million sent to the STL were reportedly drawn from the High Relief Commission, part of the prime minister's office's budget, and as such did not need cabinet approval.

Since its creation in 2007 by a U.N. Security Council resolution, the STL has been a constant source of political tension in Lebanon.

Hizbullah has denounced the court as part of a U.S.-Israeli plot and has vowed that party members accused will never be found or handed over.

Lebanon Politics

Comments 31

Gabby (Guest) over 12 years

The face of evil and death. A psychotic mass murderer who brainwashes people to follow him on the road to hell. Wake up you Shia who follow him. Reject him. Vote against the evil Hezz. Stand up to their evil.

MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) over 12 years

what's wrong with ur brain hassoun:
everybody knows in lebanon that hizballah is shiite ,mostakbal is sunni...tachnag is armenian...PSP is druze..
but u are the most infected by this virus becose u admitted that wilayat el faqih is ur bread and butter.
the majority of lebanese are infected by this political sida...u are complaining about urself now?

geha over 12 years

who do you represent? Lebanon or iran? and you call yourself lebanese? who are you but a shiite, and all your followers are the same, so why are you asking others not to be followers of their religions?
you are just finging excuses for failing to stop the payment :)

20 Minutes into the Future (Guest) over 12 years

Hassin looks like Max Headroom, new name Nas Headwrap.

Truth (Guest) over 12 years

Being the surrogate of the basij in Lebanon, the right arm of the pasdaran led by the murderer Suleimani, after having plotted, executed jointly with Bachar and Suleimani the ugliest serial political murders in the history of the region, after having taken power through a coup d'etat, the result of blackmail and murder, after having insulted the memory of those who were executed by the party's contract-killers, the Sayyed is talking about quiet political rhetoric!!

thepatriot over 12 years

"The May 7 clashes had their own circumstances, and you were the ones who started the aggression. If someone is seeking to battle us, they can already know the battle’s result."

I liked this one... firing the Airport Manager is an aggression!!??
Try to dismantle an illegitimate illegal telecom network is aggression??

Or is it sending armed gangs in the streets firing around, killing and terrorizing the aggression...??

Like you said ibnjabal, so far the entire speach is..."it's them..noooot meeeeee"...zzzzzzzzz again! Damned!

Gabby (Guest) over 12 years

"Had a (cabinet) session been held to discuss the issue of financing, we would’ve voted against it. And had the issue been put to the vote of parliament, we would’ve also voted against. We reject to pay the money of the Lebanese people to finance such a tribunal. Our stance has not changed. "

Since when does a Hezz run government let the PM do something without a vote?? This is a total lie. This was planned by Syria and the Hezz. They camped outside the parliament to stop the court, and now they don't even care that the PM sent the money without a vote? what no running in the streets? What if it was Harriri who did this? Or Sinora? This guy is delusional. He lies and pretends people don't see it.

Get this criminal out of our faces.

Neal (Guest) over 12 years

let's put some facts together and see if Nisrallah is right .
first : Hezbollah get involved in Bahrain because of it's large Shiite population .... religious motive
second : Hezbollah takes direct orders from Iran . and it will not exist like it is now without the Iranian support Iran is 90% Shiite ....religious motive
third : Hezbollah has no non Shiite members not is any sufficient number to call it an inclusion party anyway .... religious motive
fourth : Iranians are not Arabs we all know that . they do not speak the language and different cultures the only common thing Nirallah has with Iran is they are both Shiite .... religious motive
i can go on and on . so his speech today is to reverse his reality and put the blame on others of course assuming we are all stupid and not dare to question him

peace over 12 years

"And had the issue been put to the vote of parliament, we would’ve also voted against. We reject to pay the money of the Lebanese people to finance such a tribunal."

funny then how easily they accepted the funding without any problem or thugs in the streets ass they usually do in such cases...

it only proves that they are under pressure and had to accept it...

syria doesn t want chaos in lebanon for now that is the only reason!

remember when they were so aggressive with this issue before, how they made the M14 gvt fall for that matter, how much the cl aoun was barking against it...

they just had to shut their mouths because master bashar told them so...

so funnyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Marc over 12 years

كما قلت مبكراً, بلا بلا بلا يادا يادا يادا.... نفس الاسطوانة.. زائد تهديد

If someone is seeking to battle us, they can already know the battle’s result...

and they said that they don't use the weapons internally, here he is reminding everyone of his mighty arms

shab over 12 years

Record breaking .....the most boring speech ever !

Bandoul over 12 years

Can someone please inform the leader of Hzb El Kzb & Erhab that his Jedi mind tricks are no longer working on us??? I guess our feeble minds are no longer as feeble as he initialy thought.

SORRY PAL, go get a new bag of tricks...or better yet please martyr yourself so we can be free to go about the business of rebuilding our country, our reputation and our honor without your terrorist threats.

You have denied us our liberty for far too long you tyrant you!.

joseph0966 (Guest) over 12 years

Enough with your threats. You donot scare us and you never did. We did so many numbers on you in Shiah and Kamil Shamoun Blvd before. If anyone should rember you should you "Jahel". To hell with you and your Umma and leave us alone. Or do you think we are all like the coward Jumblatt. Try us and stop talking!!!!

Anonymous TX USA (Guest) over 12 years

The only reason that he allowed STL to be funded is because Syria needed it
If Lebanon did not fund the STL it would have been hit with sanctions and financial blockade that Syria is already in.
If Lebanon get hit with sanctions there goes it's only lifeline left

LebExile (Guest) over 12 years

aragon: love the name master splinter ...LOL

realist over 12 years

Who is sectarian?? your "sunni belonging"..two generals that are "sunis".. who uses this language at such a delicate time except someone sectarian to the bone!?..then what is all this bla bla bla about we are against the funding bla bla bla.. newsflash..THE STL WAS FUNDED NASRALA..STOP THE BARKING!! the new Syria is coming and your end is near just like the PLO before you..go read history idiot.

trueself (Guest) over 12 years

nassralah has been obliged by what's happening in syria to succumb to pressure and accept Miqati's funding because in doing otherwise the government would fall and a vacuum would ensue causing havec on the ground and fear all over Lebanon which is not in teh best interest of Syria or the Huzbullah. But, I think many concessions on the part of Nasrallah would follow as the situation in Syria start propensing in favor of the opposition parties in Syria. Huzbullah would have to follow with Berri recommendation of initiating dialogue with Harriri to stem the adverse repercussions from the Syrian regime's fall. The following days and months would be fraught with all sorts of surprises. lebanon would be on the verge of a new era of peace and prosperity away from Syria regime's domination. Time has come for the Lebanese to extricate themselves from the past by working steadfastly towards the future.

after all this suffering, the resurrection of lebanon is at hand and very near.

Beiruti (Guest) over 12 years

Don't you find it most peculiar that this guy, who looks like he stepped out of the 7th Century can have such a large say over such a sophisticated nation of people as are the Lebanese? I mean, I watch MTV and the others and the Lebanese are at the vanguard of fashion, style, music, art, poetry, and the like, yet this 7th Century antique calls the shots in its political life?

He is trying to save face. He lost this round with the STL and is saying that he will not cause trouble because he decided not to. BS! The last thing he wants now for the sake of his own survival is for a conflict that would involve his "divine arms". Three-fourth's of the country would oppose him Syria could not help out, and Israel would be only more willing to cut him down to size in Lebanon.

When will the Lebanese finally come out from under this antique rat hole dweller?

footballer (Guest) over 12 years

politics... yawwwwn... heard there was a golf course in lebanon?

people-power over 12 years

This Iranian Agent has no credibility. He is a terrorist and he is working for a foreign government, which makes him a traitor. He is the leader of a party whose members have been implicated in the most heinous crimes of the century in Lebanon, even worse than the Kennedy assassination because of the multiple victims.

Why has Nasrallah not yet been arrested if he is the leader of the group that has been implicated in killing a former Prime Minister? He said it was not possible for such a crime to occur without his knowing, so he must be guilty as well.

Since when have the 4 generals been declared innocent? Not true. They were released from detention, but they have not been cleared from culpability in the crimes. The next round of indictments will reveal more collaborators.

And stop insulting us with comparing the brief detention of the 4 generals to the brutal murders of Hariri, Gemayel, Tueni, Kassir, Hawi, Eid, Ghanem, Eido and others.

Former Lebanese (Guest) over 12 years

I've been saying this all along, and this is what seems to be happenning. The amount of bickering that is currently happenning in the Lebanese government is unbeleivable considering it's from the same color. I mean this IS a government built by Hizbullah and their cronies. You would think everything would go smoothly exactly like they would want it to.

What is happenning right now is sadly they are trying to bring Miqati up as a Sunni hero someone that is standing up for their rights against Hizbullah. It's almost a deja vu with Rafik Hariri rise to premiership. Slowely but surely they are marginalizing Mustaqbal movement and M14 by creating internal conflicts and eventually having their own opposition force by Miqati and Aoun. Once that is done Mustaqbal will be completely marginalized.

Gabby (Guest) over 12 years

I want to put on trial the one who ordered the May 7 murders of Lebanese and the burning of business. Who ordered that ya Nassy??

Leelo (Guest) over 12 years

Gabby, what's going on with ASSad? Are you taking a break from that topic? The Saturday that you warned us of before it came actually came about 3 Saturdays ago and went. Your 3 months and he'll be gone warning also expired 4.5 months ago. What now? Stand up to Hizbullah and their evil? Can you be more specific as to when you will slay that dragon? Can you please coordinate with Dr. Tojlita and let us know? We are anxious to your answers, buddy. Take care. Bye.

Joe (Guest) over 12 years

Would this man simply shut up..he's a boring painful stuck record always using archaic logic to brain wash.....his days as are his party's numbered....arghhh how tirring!!

Le PheneChien (Guest) over 12 years

Impeach the whistle blower that killed 1000 civilians and destroyed the Lebanese infrastructure in 2006.
Let that be the first topic to be discussed next as we should learn from previous lessons and not commit the mistake twice by leaving the whistle blower outside of Roumieh.

melbourne (Guest) over 12 years

attention:joseph0966
why is jumblatt a coward? last time i recall it was the PSP who put their money where their mouth was and proved that HIZB ELSHAITAN , the great 'victor' over israel, was in fact incapable of defeating someone on its own territory, let alone the devil of the middle east israel. meanwhile, the sunni and christian alliance in march 14 sat idle while the shia made a mockery of their men in beirut and tripoli. so whos the coward? or do u just like the sound of ur own voice! DONT U REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 7.

people-power over 12 years

Bigidiot and Elie.... go spread your propaganda somewhere else. Nobody except maybe some of the sheep of the militia party of terrorism believe your story about Hariri selling the STL in return for the PM job.

First of all, the STL was created by the UN Security Council, and NOBODY in Lebanon has any authority to cancel the STL. Period. If that was true, why doesn't the current government controlled by Hezbollah cancel the STL now? Think before you make dumb accusations.

Furthermore, Nasrallah and Assad were played by Hariri and Saudi Arabia. The S-S formula was a ruse to string along the murderers making them think that Hariri would disavow the STL. Meanwhile, the main purpose of the S-S negotiations was to stall for time, and allow for the indictments to be issued. Hariri had no intention of ever disavowing the STL. You got played like a violin. Deal with it.

User (Guest) over 12 years

I'm bored

Funky Blue (Guest) over 12 years

@Joe: can you submit a written request for this man to shut up? It will be reviewed. I promise you. Until then, keep crying and banging your head against the wall.

peace over 12 years

what the hezbi supporters don t seem to understand is the stupidness of nasrallah s speech..
he said that hariri was ready to abandon the STL so why didn t the hezb cancel it while they are in power?

if you analyse what he says , he is saying hariri wanted to abandon the STL but Mikati has funded it and we agreed!!!!

totally illogical.... so how can you give an ounce of credibility to what he is saying? it proves he is totally embarassed and losing....

Ali Sadr Hajj Hussein al Shi3awi (Guest) over 12 years

Elie K.
at least give them credit for even covering any of the nonsensical rantings of this brain damaged hiding extremist lunatic.