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© unknownHezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah
The Hezbollah leader says the US-funded Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) was established to turn world public opinion against the resistance and to foment sectarian strife in Lebanon.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks in Beirut on Saturday night during a televised speech in which he condemned the UN tribunal's decision to issue indictments for four Hezbollah members over the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

The Hezbollah leader rejected the allegations that Hezbollah was involved in the assassination, saying the indictments were premeditated and politicized.

He went on to say that the STL is part of a new US plot to tarnish the image of the popular resistance movement.

He questioned the credibility of the tribunal and said those behind the "politicized" investigation are linked to US and British intelligence agencies.

Israel benefits the most from the US-backed tribunal, he stated.

Nasrallah said the evidence Hezbollah had presented earlier was sufficient to indict Israel for involvement in the attack that killed the former Lebanese prime minister.

On February 14, 2005, a massive bomb blew up the vehicle carrying Rafiq Hariri, killing the Lebanese leader and over 20 other people.

"The tribunal should have investigated the Israeli role in Hariri's assassination," but it "cooperated with the Israelis instead of questioning them," he said.

Nasrallah presented new documents indicating that the STL's computers and their documents were not directly sent to The Hague from Beirut, but transferred via Israel.

"The probe should have been carried out by neutral, unbiased people," while "those behind the probe are linked with US and British intelligence services," he added, and accused the investigative committee members of ethical and financial corruption.

Nasrallah said the tribunal was "politically motivated from the beginning" and its indictments were based on false witnesses and accusations made by the US and Israel.

"The warrants have been issued against brothers with an honorable history in fighting the occupation."

"We consider the tribunal an assault on us," he stated.

"The tribunal is part of the psychological warfare against the resistance," but the resistance movement is ready to confront any Israeli plots, Nasrallah said.

The STL's investigations should have been confidential but the panel deliberately leaking its decisions to the media to tarnish the image of Hezbollah, he noted.

Nasrallah also accused the Western-backed March 14 coalition of dreaming of inciting sectarian strife in Lebanon and stated that the STL indictments were meant to help pro-Western parties overthrow the Lebanese government.

"A pro-Israel tribunal will not reveal the truth about Hariri's death," the Hezbollah leader said, recalling how Israelis did not allow anyone to investigate them over the massacre they committed in the West Bank city of Jenin in April 2002.