July 20, 2010 - Now Lebanon - SSNP lashes out at Nasrallah critics

The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) issued a statement on Tuesday lashing out at critics of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Friday statement calling the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) an Israeli project that aims to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon. The SSNP said that criticism of Nasrallah comes as part of “a smear campaign targeting the Hezbollah leader for touching on key matters that are linked to the fate of Lebanon.” “The STL is an Israeli project,” the statement said, calling on the cabinet to withdraw the Lebanese judges working with the STL until the tribunal clarifies the media leaks regarding its upcoming indictment. The STL is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Media reports say the tribunal’s indictment will be issued before the end of 2010. There are also reports that Hezbollah members could be named in the indictment.