Now Lebanon - Future bloc urges cabinet to honor STL commitments, October 4, 2011

The Future bloc on Tuesday urged the Lebanese government to provide its annual share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).“The cabinet must fulfill its duties and respect Lebanon’s commitment to its obligations,” the bloc said in a statement.It added that Hezbollah is “protecting” the four suspects who were indicted by the tribunal for the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.“These suspects must be turned over to the STL,” the statement said.The Future bloc also welcomed the formation of a common front uniting all groups which oppose the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.“The formation of the Syrian National Council is essential after all the possibilities for making reform have been foiled,” the statement said.The bloc called for “halting oppressive practices and withdrawing the Syrian army from the streets.”Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and a pro-Western camp headed by Saad Hariri.Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the funding of the tribunal, while Prime Minister Najib Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the STL.Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,700 people and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.