Hariri Tribunal Blocked by Lebanese President

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud (pictured) rejected a proposal by the Lebanese cabinet to form an international tribunal to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri today.

Lahoud said the cabinet is unconstitutional and that he will reconsider the proposal when a constitutional body is formed. Part of the problem is that the pro-Syrian members of the Cabinet did not participate in the vote that approved the draft. Lahoud is pro-Syrian himself, and is aware that a recent UN investigation implicated Syria in Hariri's death. Therefore, I am sure Lahoud does not want to proceed with a tribunal that will investigate his political allies. Waiting until the cabinet is reformed to include more pro-Syrian members will potentially enable him to sweep the whole investigation under the rug.

For more background check out some related posts:
The Hybrid Lebanese Tribunal
Hariri Panel to Investigate Gemayel Assassination
Lebanon Supports UN Tribunal