Middle East Policy

A moment of glory, and the struggle goes on. Lebanon's Independence and Democracy The Conflict over the New Middle East ACT NOW NOT LATER. Million People Show Up for Hariri Memorial in Beirut Naharnet 14 Feb 08 More than one million people showed up in downtown Beirut on Thursday to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on the third anniversary of his assassination as just a few kilometers away Hizbullah prepared to bury top commander Imad Mughniyeh who was killed by a car bomb in Syria. Amid fears of clashes between rival pro- and anti-Syrian factions, army troops and security forces were deployed in force in the capital. The factions have faced off repeatedly in recent weeks. A sea of people gathered under pouring rain and poor visibility in Martyrs' Square in central Beirut, where Hariri is buried, waving Lebanese flags and photos of the slain leader as well as other politicians and figures killed in the past three years. Rally organizers said about one million p

UN, Netherlands sign accord to base Lebanon Special Tribunal in The Hague UN News 21 December 2007 – The United Nations and the Netherlands today signed an agreement to base in The Hague the court to judge recent assassinations in Lebanon, including that of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The Headquarters Agreement for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was signed in New York by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry D. Johnson and Dutch Ambassador Frank Majoor. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has already accepted the recommendations of the selection panel on judges for the Tribunal and will announce the names “at an appropriate time in the future,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement [see below]. According to the Tribunal’s statute, the chambers will consist of one international pre-trial judge; three judges to serve in the trial chamber (one Lebanese and two international); five judges to serve in the appeals chamber (two Lebanese and three internatio

Brammertz' Report: Progress Led to Identification of New 'Persons of Interest' Naharnet 28 Nov 07 A U.N. inquiry has made progress in linking people to the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri and is closely examining the possibility that two or more teams may have prepared and carried out the attack, chief investigator Serge Brammertz said Wednesday. While not identifying anyone, Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in his final report to the Security Council that progress by the U.N. International Independent Investigation Commission in the last four months has led to the identification of new "persons of interest" and new investigative leads. "The commission has also deepened and broadened its understanding of the possible involvement of a number of persons of interest, including persons who have recently been identified by the commission, who may have been involved in some aspects of the preparation and commission of the crime or who may have k

Report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007 4 Sebtember 2007 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 3 of resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007, by which the Security Council requested me to undertake, in coordination, when appropriate, with the Government of Lebanon, the steps and measures necessary to establish the Special Tribunal in a timely manner and to report to the Council on the implementation of the resolution within 90 days of its adoption and periodically thereafter. 2. By resolution 1757 (2007), the Security Council decided, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, that the provisions of the document annexed thereto (the “Annex”) on the establishment of the Special Tribunal, including the statute attached thereto (the “Statute”), would enter into force on 10 June 2007, unless the Government of Lebanon had notified the United Nations in writing that the le

Saniora Declares Victory, Vows to Rebuild Nahr al-Bared Naharnet 02 Sep 07 Prime Minister Fouad Saniora on Sunday declared victory over terrorism after the Lebanese army seized full control of the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared. "It is the greatest national victory for Lebanon over the terrorists in Nahr al-Bared," Saniora said, hours after the Lebanese army took control of the camp in a ferocious battle that left 37 militants of Fatah al-Islam and three soldiers killed. Another 20 militants were captured, and an unknown number has fled, with troops giving chase. "It is a great success that the Lebanese army has achieved over the terrorists, those who sought chaos, destruction and tragedies for Lebanon," he said in a televised speech to the country. He pledged that the Lebanese government would rebuild Nahr al-Bared, but said that the camp would be placed under the authority of the state and "only the Lebanese state." "As we said at the beg