Evading International Investigation into Hariri Assassination Incredibly Difficult
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit said in an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah published on Monday that evading international investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is very difficult, “because it is a resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council.”
He added that recent reports to the Security Council on Hariri’s assassination do not mention or criticize Syria, adding, “There is an international recognition of Syria’s cooperation [with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon into Hariri’s case],” he said.
Abu al-Gheit said the progress on the STL was slow, stating that nobody can claim “being aware of what is really going on.” He stressed that the STL’s general prosecutor judge alone decides on when to present his final report to the council.
Abu al-Gheit also said that “Lebanese internal balances on one side and some external vision [influence] on the other” rather than Hezbollah’s weapons were impeding the cabinet formation, voicing hope to see an end to the impasse in the coming few days in order to manage Lebanon’s domestic and foreign affairs.
On the issue of Resolution 1559, Abu al-Gheit said it would not be implemented by any Arab or foreign force, because “such a step would result in further Arab divide, and the resolution should only be implemented by Lebanon.”
“I advise Lebanese to readdress the Lebanese situation and Lebanon’s relations with Israel in such a way that would rightly position the Resistance’s weapons,” he said.
Abu al-Gheit voiced hope that the Saudi-Syrian summit held in Damascus in August would restore relations between the two countries. He added that his country did not oppose Syrian-Turkish rapprochement in hope that Istanbul can restore its support to Arab causes.