July 29, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Arab leaders want STL indictment postponed, says source

An anonymous source told Ad-Diyar newspaper in an interview published on Thursday that Arab leaders want the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to postpone issuing its indictment for one year.

The tribunal has not announced when the formal charges will be handed down, but media reports say it will happen before the end of the year.

This comes as Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are expected in Beirut on Friday, along with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

The daily also said efforts are underway to ensure Hezbollah is not accused of being involved in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last week the STL will name some of his party members in its pending indictment, which sparked fears a new sectarian conflict will break out.

Ad-Diyar also said King Abdullah might send a representative to meet with Nasrallah during the monarch’s visit to Beirut.