The Daily Star - Aoun blasts 'politicized justice' in talks with French president - November 16, 2010

By Wassim Mroueh
 BEIRUT: Head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Michel Aoun held talks Monday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy during which he reportedly expressed his opposition to “politicized justice” in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

LBC TV quoted FPM sources as saying that Aoun had told Sarkozy that he was not against achieving justice but against “politicized justice that is built [on the testimony] of false witnesses which might destabilize Lebanon.”

Aoun said Christians in Lebanon and the Levant should not be looked at as mere numbers but as major participants in the interaction of civilizations.

A statement issued by the FPM said Sarkozy had given Aoun a warm welcome and expressed openness to all that was discussed during the talks.

Aoun also held talks with French Speaker Bernard Accoyer who expressed interest in all issues related to stability in Lebanon.

The statement said the FPM leader would remain in France until Thursday and that he was set to hold talks Tuesday with senior French politicians and Lebanese businessmen.

According to the statement, Aoun would not comment to media outlets on his visit before finalizing it Wednesday when he is set to meet with the President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri voiced hope that all Lebanese could work on preparing “a suitable atmosphere to follow up on honest Syrian-Saudi efforts aimed at enhancing stability in Lebanon on all levels.”

“This requires avoiding political rhetoric in all what can instigate tension and deepen divisions among the Lebanese,” Berri told reporters at his southern residence in Msaileh.

Echoing Berri’s appeal, President Michel Sleiman said he hoped that Lebanese could sacrifice their personal and private interests for the sake of the country and its people as he extended his greetings to the Lebanese on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

Last week, Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called upon all Lebanese to endorse Saudi-Syrian efforts which are trying to reach a compromise over the controversial Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
In response, Prime Minister Saad Hariri praised Nasrallah’s stance regarding the Arab efforts.

Hizbullah has called for a nationwide boycott of probes by the STL and has labeled it as an “Israeli project,” stressing that members from the party are likely to be named in an imminent indictment by the court.

In a bid to derail the STL, Hizbullah has called for referring the issue of “false witnesses” – whom it says gave false testimony – to the judicial council where a pronounced verdict could not be appealed. But March 14 parties say the matter should be handled by the judiciary after the issuance of the indictment.

In other developments, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir reiterated his support for the STL. Head of the Change Movement Elie Mahfoud, who visited Sfeir at his residence in Bkirki, quoted the prelate as saying that “if we retreated, said nothing and allowed the tribunal to stop its work, this means that, we are, first, acquitting the criminals involved and second, telling them you can continue to kill in the future because justice will not be served.” Sfeir, who received US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly, is set to travel to the Vatican Tuesday to take part in the promotion of cardinals appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. Sfeir is also expected meet a number of officials.

In other news, MP Mohammad Raad, head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, said Hizbullah was adamant on preserving “the blood of resistance fighters.” Addressing a gathering to mark Hizbullah’s Martyrs Day in the southern town of Harte Saida, Raad said: “That’s why we will not accept anyone, no matter how powerful he is, accusing a member of the resistance based on a fabricated accusation.”

“If they lost hope in the effectiveness of other methods to corner the resistance, tarnish its reputation or undermine its culture, then their adoption of this method will make the resistance much more deep-rooted in people … and they will never be able to defeat it,” added Raad.