US meddling triggered Lebanon crisis-Sahar Urdu News 13-01-11 Tehran

Hassan Hanizadeh, in an interview with Press TV on Wednesday, added that the resignation of 11 Lebanese ministers from the opposition led by Hezbollah has thrown the government of Saad Hariri into a "new crisis."

The Lebanese government collapsed on Wednesday after the ministers resigned from the cabinet over tensions stemming from a US-backed probe into the assassination of former Premier Rafiq Hariri in a bombing back in 2005.

"Following the resignation of the ministers, the cabinet of Saad Hariri has entered new crisis because based on the Lebanese Constitution withdrawal of 11 ministers mean the collapse of the cabinet," Hanizadeh said.

He noted that the major difference between the pro-Western March 14 alliance led by Saad Hariri and the opposition March 8 coalition led by Michel Aoun is due to US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's efforts aimed at disarming Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement.

"On the other hand, the US is pursuing to name the Islamic resistance movement as the main suspect in killing of Rafiq Hariri and indict it by setting up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," he said.

Saad Hariri was in the US for a meeting with President Barack Obama when his cabinet was collapsed.

Hezbollah's decision to quit the ruling coalition came after its calls for an urgent cabinet session over the crisis triggered by the Washington-sponsored tribunal were rejected.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the US-backed court would likely issue an indictment against some Hezbollah members based on testimonies which have already proven false.

Hanizadeh said he believed that Hariri "should prevent the court from issuing indictment against Hezbollah."

"Although the assassination of Rafiq Hariri was a painful incident but the move should not lead to elimination of Lebanon," Hanizadeh warned.

Lebanon has been in a political turmoil since the establishment of the US-sponsored tribunal.

In November, the Lebanese daily As-Safir said that the US was imposing "intensive" pressure on Beirut, using the slogan, "No discussions before an indictment is issued."

Syria and Saudi Arabia entered "strenuous negotiations" aimed at preventing Lebanon from plunging into a political crisis on the back of such indictments.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun announced that Saudi Arabia and Syria had been unable to resolve the dispute. He quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi King Abdullah as saying that the collaboration had drawn a blank.

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