British Ambassador Tom Fletcher warned Lebanon that any procrastination in funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would be a “bad sign” and pave way for impunity.
In remarks to An Nahar daily on Tuesday, Fletcher said non-commitment to Lebanon’s obligations to the STL would pave way for criticism that Lebanon belongs to Hizbullah and would obstruct the culture of ending impunity.
Any delay in paying Lebanon’s share to the tribunal would also make it harder for the country’s western friends to deal with it, he added.
The STL has indicted four Hizbullah members in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination. The Shiite party and its allies have rejected to fund it but President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat have backed the funding.
“We held discussions at the European level last week about this issue and we should be ready for any solution,” Fletcher told An Nahar.
Asked about the effects of possible new sanctions against Syria on Lebanon’s banking sector, the British diplomat said: “We are trying to protect Lebanon from such measures and avoid any negative repercussions.”
“We are aware that the Lebanese economy depends highly on the banking sector and that Lebanon and Syria are partners,” he said, hoping that Beirut would be able to separate itself from the economic sanctions against its neighbor.
Fletcher held talks with Premier Najib Miqati on Tuesday to set the stage for his visit to London where he is scheduled to meet with his British counterpart David Cameron on November 7.
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