Hariri: World Knows Syria is Killing Lebanese

Lebanese Parliament Majority Leader Saad Hariri at the United Nations

NEW YORK CITY...(From Naharnet) Al Mustaqbal Movement leader and MP Saad Hariri on Tuesday met with U.N. Special Envoy Terje Roed Larsen and senior U.N. officials to discuss ways to speed up the formation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Hariri was also due to meet later Tuesday with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.

In addition to discussing the formation of the international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father and related crimes, the talks were expected to touch on ways of enforcing U.N. resolutions on Lebanon. "These are political and terrorist crimes," Hariri told an Iftar banquet in his honor. "We tell the killers that the tribunal is coming.

"The Syrian regime is slaughtering us and the world knows that; and measures to protect Lebanon are needed."

The Iftar, thrown by ambassador-designate to the U.N. Nawaf Salam, was attended by U.N. ambassadors of the five permanent Security Council members as well as former MP Ghattas Khoury and Al Mustaqbal coordinator for North America Rafik Bizri. Hariri reiterated that Syria was behind the serial killings in Lebanon."The Syrian regime is slaughtering us and the world knows that; and measures to protect Lebanon are needed," Hariri demanded.