Hamadeh to Sue Hizbullah on Charges of ‘Inciting’ his Assassination
| He said Al-Manar’s news broadcast on Wednesday evening targeted him with “allegations and false charges that had been repeatedly spread by Syrian intelligence for months.”
Based on that, Hamadeh announced, “I will sue Hizbullah on charges of inciting my assassination and attempting to terrorize me politically and psychologically.” He also said Hizbullah had “covered up those who tried to assassinate me in October 2004. The car which targeted me was booby trapped in an area controlled by Hizbullah and its license plate was forged at a workshop in the same area.” Al-Manar’s report claimed Hamadeh had “revealed” to U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman the hideout of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the 34-day war between the Shiite group and Israel last summer. The war started on July 12 after Hizbullah operatives kidnapped two Israeli soldiers from north Israel. The Jewish state threatened to retaliate by assassinating Nasrallah. Hamadeh said he would respond to Al-Manar’s allegations through “the judiciary … I will deliver a recorded video copy of Al-Manar’s report to the international investigation committee” which is probing the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. Hamadeh’s statement was seen as a challenge to Hizbullah’s reported rejection of the Special International Tribunal for Lebanon to try suspects in the Hariri murder. Hamadeh, Defense Minister Elias Murr and TV anchorwoman May Chidiak suffered serious wounds in separate attempts on their lives by booby-trapped car blasts that are believed to be related to the Hariri assassination. Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, MP-Journalist Gebran Tueni, former Lebanese Communist Party Leader George Hawi and journalist Samir Qassir have been killed in separate attacks that are believed to be linked to the wave of assassinations targeting anti-Syrian figures. Hizbullah, which has been leading an open-ended protest to topple Premier Fouad Saniora’s majority government since Dec.1, reportedly wants the international tribunal’s bylaws amended to limit its powers to the Hariri assassination, without having the authority to look into the other crimes. |
| Beirut, 28 Dec 06, 14:54 |
