Hezbollah says it will block financing for Harari tribunal

Hezbollah yesterday said that it will use its position in government to block Lebanon’s funding for the U.N. court investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Hezbollah argues that the tribunal has been poisoned by witnesses who have given false information and because of this, they have said they will try to block the finding in Lebanon’s budget. Lebanon currently pays 49 percent of the tribunal's costs, with other U.N. member states providing the remainder.

Professor of political science at St. Joseph’s University in Beirut, Kalil Karam, says that he believes Hezbollah are simply looking for an accurate representation.

Speaking to Vatican Radio, he said “to me, I take their word that they want first to find a solution to the false witnesses issue, and second to co-ordinate with the tribunal.”

“It’s not good that, because of a criminal problem, two communities face each other,” he continued. “It’s not an easy thing. It’s not something that can be solved with nice words. It has to be really solved basically and profoundly in order not to have a destabilization of the country.”