Iloubnan - Hezbollah decides whether or not govt should fund STL, Merabi says, October 18, 2011

MP Mouin al-Merabi said to Al-Sharq radio station that Hezbollah is the only party in the government to decide whether or not the cabinet should fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The MP reminded Hezbollah that its ally Iran has agreed to listen to Washington concerning its allegations that Tehran was involved in the assassination attempt of the Saudi ambassador to Washington. Merabi implied that Hezbollah should cooperate with the international tribunal to prove its innocence just like Tehran is doing with Washington. "But it is painful to see Lebanon breaching its commitment and this will make look like a failed state," the MP warned. He also castigated the Syrian regime for oppressing its people for the past six months. He  criticized the decision of the Arab League to grant the Syrian regime a 15 days grace period to reconcile its differences with the Syrian opposition. "This grace period is unacceptable in any form because this step should have been taken more than six months ago and before the killing of 450 people. The Arab states should have stepped in and ended the slaying of the Syrian people," he argued. Blasting the Syrian measures along the Lebanese border, Merabi said that Damascus is using the pretext of weapon smuggling to its own country to exercise its control over Lebanon. "Every time we raise our voices against the Syrian violations along the border, the Syrian regime maintains its pressure on Lebanon." He also expressed his outrage over the Lebanese government's position on the events along the border. "This regime only survives through intimidations, threats and killing against all its neighboring countries." The MP hailed the information revealed by the Internal Security Forces about the abduction of two Syrian opposition figures by the Syrian intelligence in Lebanon. "We have lot of collaborators in Lebanon such as Israelis, Syrians and Iranians. This person should be held accountable for all the deeds he did in Lebanon and should be punished according to the law." He repeated his accusation that Hezbollah is fully controlling Lebanon and even controls all the vital government facilities and institutions. "Hezbollah managed to control the country due to the laxity and indifference of the state." The MP charged Hezbollah with stealing treasury and people's pockets. "All these practices of Hezbollah are done amidst a deteriorating economic and security conditions. The Western nations always warn their citizens not to go to Lebanon." The MP said that government's decision to raise the salaries was very hasty because most of the private sector cannot afford these wage hikes at the moment.