Wednesday, May 30, 2007

There it is, Resolution 1757

I thought this day would never come! 27 months and 17 explosions later, the UN Security Council is going to adopt tonight resolution 1757, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, setting up an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

In order to avoid a Russian veto, the French and American ambassadors included a “sunrise clause” in the resolution which delays the entry into force until June 10 to allow one last chance for the Lebanese to adopt the Tribunal through national institutions, under chapter VI. That explains Lahoud’s latest desperate attempt to obstruct the establishment of the Tribunal by suggesting a 6-member national salvation government
“today before tomorrow”.

This is truly a historic day for Lebanon. For the first time in our long history of
political assassinations the criminals are going to face Justice. But the importance of the Tribunal lies elsewhere: Beyond finding the killers of PM Hariri, the Tribunal is hoped to deter political assassinations and to consolidate the country’s fragile independence by keeping the pressure on the neighboring Baathist regime and its allies in Lebanon.
Update: Resolution 1757 was passed with 10 votes in favor (France, USA, UK, Belgium, Peru, Slovakia, Congo, Ghana, Italy & Panama) and 5 abstentions (Russia, China, Qatar, South Africa & Indonesia).

Update 2: According to Naharnet, a sound bomb exploded in front of Mar Mikhael church in Shiyyah. No casualties.

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