Now Lebanon - Hezbollah’s Rifai says US “pressuring” Mikati to fund STL , October 27, 2011

Hezbollah MP Kamel Rifai said that the US is “exerting pressure” on Prime Minister Najib Mikati in order to provide Lebanon’s share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).“The US aims to pressure Mikati into funding the STL…a move that triggers disputes between [the PM] and his allies in the government,” Rifai said in an interview with As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Thursday.He added that the US wants to “corner” Mikati and “sever his alliance with Hezbollah as well as with the Free Patriotic Movement.”US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly warned on Monday that a failure by Lebanon to meets its obligation to the STL could lead to “serious consequences.” Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the UN-backed STL for the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.