Now Lebanon - Siniora calls for funding STL, November 2, 2011

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Wednesday that Lebanon must pay its share of funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon “in line with international law and UN [Security Council] Resolution 1757."
Siniora added that Lebanon is bound on the issue by provisions issued under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the National News Agency reported.
If the government decides not to pay Lebanon’s share of funding, it will have to sooner or later since Beirut is obliged to, the former PM said.
Siniora also addressed the security situation in Lebanon, saying that since Wednesday’s parliamentary session touched upon the issue “it is not true that the security situation is fine, as some [groups] say.”
The UN-backed tribunal is funded by an assortment of donor countries from around the world and Lebanon, which contributes 49 percent of the annual funding.
However, Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon. However, Prime Minister Najib Mikati has voiced his support for the UN backed tribunal.
Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The Shia group Hezbollah strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.