July 24, 2010 - Naharnet - Paris Denies having Information on Indictment, Washington Stresses 'Strong' Support to STL

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero stressed that France does not possess any information on the indictment in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
He refused in his weekly press conference on Friday to comment on Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's recent statements on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, adding that Paris believes in the independence of the STL's work and that it wants to uncover all factors in the assassination.

Meanwhile, the daily An Nahar Saturday reported that a U.S. State Department official stressed that the U.S. "will remain a strong supporter of the STL and its role in putting an end to the protection of political assassinations in Lebanon."

He noted: "A sign of our ongoing commitment in bolstering justice in Lebanon is the U.S.' $20 million donation to the STL, which is a clear indication that Lebanon's sovereignty is not negotiable."

U.S officials have voiced their pessimism over the eruption of a new war between Israel and Hizbullah, especially given the possibility that some of its members may be indicted in Hariri's murder, reported the daily.

They said that the party may resort to escalating the situation with Israel in order to divert attention from the matter, with one of the officials saying that Nasrallah's threatening tone "reflects an implicit acknowledgement of guilt, albeit in a defiant tone."