Hezbollah blames Israel for Hariri killing

Hezbollah's Nasrallah: "No one is allowed to investigate Israel"Four Hezbollah members were indicted in connection with the killing, a source told CNNNasrallah says the court's goal is to sow Sunni-Shiite division

(CNN) -- Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah repeated his stance that Israel was behind the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister six years ago and slammed the U.N.-backed court for sowing discord in Lebanon.

"The tribunal was established for an obvious political goal, and no one is allowed to investigate Israel," he said on Lebanese TV Saturday, explaining his position on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's indictments in connection with the 2005 attack, which left Rafik Hariri and 22 others dead.

"Instead of investigating with Israel, they cooperated with Israel."

The tribunal submitted to Lebanese authorities a sealed indictment and arrest warrants this week for an unknown number of suspects. A highly placed source in the Lebanese Army told CNN the four include Mustafa Badreddine, Hasan Oneisa, Salim Ayyah and Asad Sabra -- all Hezbollah members.

Many Lebanese believe the killing revolved around the controversies over Syria's role in Lebanon, occupied at the time by Syrian troops, and the Damascus government's strong political influence in Lebanon.

Many Lebanese believe Hariri wanted the Syrians to withdraw from Lebanon and lessen Syria's influence, and many suspect that Syria and its ally Hezbollah went after Hariri because of his stance on this issue.

Hezbollah is a Shiite political faction in Lebanon that provides social services to its constituents. It has long been regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and as an ally of Iran.

It has had longstanding animosity toward the tribunal, based on the expectation that some of its members would be indicted as conspirators in Hariri's assassination. Nasrallah has accused the group's arch-enemy Israel of the assassination.

Nasrallah also criticized the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which issued the indictments, for sowing discord.

"We cannot cancel the tribunal because the tribunal was created by the U.N. Security Council that is ruled by the American will," he told viewers of al-Manar, the Lebanese TV station affiliated with Hezbollah.

"The most dangerous goal of this tribunal is to create strife, a civil war in Lebanon, or especially a division between the Sunni and Shiite in Lebanon."

A U.N. source familiar with the tribunal said the people indicted include alleged perpetrators on the ground.

Badreddine -- who is the brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, a former Hezbollah commander who was assassinated in Syria in 2008 -- is reported to be a member of Hezbollah's advisory council.

Two additional lists of indictments are expected later this summer and are expected to include the organizers and planners of the attack, the U.N. source said.

Those suspected connections of Hezbollah and the Syrian government to the killing have raised tensions in the country, stoking fears of sectarian conflict erupting in the ethnically and religiously diverse nation, which endured a civil war from 1975 to 1990.

Syria had thousands of troops in Lebanon and great influence in the country until mass protests after Hariri's assassination, known as the Cedar Revolution, forced their withdrawal. Syria has denied any involvement in the assassination.

Another result of the anger toward the attack was the creation of the tribunal. The United Nations and the Lebanese Republic negotiated an agreement on the establishment of the body, based in the Netherlands.

CNN

Hezbollah pair indicted for Hariri plot

(CNN) -- Four members of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah have been indicted in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a high-placed source in the Lebanese Army confirmed on Thursday.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued the indictments, and a U.N. source familiar with the body said the people include alleged perpetrators on the ground.

Multiple sources in the region said they include Mustafa Badreddine.

Badreddine -- who is the brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, a former Hezbollah commander who was assassinated in Syria in 2008 -- is reported to be a member of Hezbollah's advisory council. The other names on the list are Hasan Oneisa, Salim Ayyah and Asad Sabra.

Two additional lists of indictments are expected later this summer and are expected to include the organizers and planners of the attack, the U.N. source said. The United Nations and the Lebanese Republic negotiated an agreement on the establishment of the tribunal, based at The Hague.

Many Lebanese believe the killing revolved around the controversies over Syria's role in Lebanon, occupied at the time by Syrian troops, and the Damascus government's strong political influence in Lebanon.

People believe Hariri wanted the Syrians to withdraw from Lebanon and lessen Syria's influence, and many suspect that Syria and its ally Hezbollah went after Hariri because of his stance on this issue.

Those suspected connections of Hezbollah and the Syrian government to the killing have raised tensions in the country, stoking fears of sectarian conflict erupting in the ethnically and religiously diverse nation, which endured a civil war from 1975 to 1990.

Besides being prime minister of Lebanon for 10 years between 1992 and 2004, Rafik Hariri was the driving force behind Beirut's renaissance as a Mediterranean jewel, investing in the restoration of a city center that not so long before had been the frontline in Lebanon's civil war.

Rafik Hariri was 60 when he was killed, a self-made Sunni billionaire of humble origins. His son Saad, 40, leads a political bloc known as "March 14," which includes prominent Christian leaders. The group's adversaries include Hezbollah and other factions.

Syria had thousands of troops in Lebanon and great influence in the country until mass protests after Hariri's assassination forced their withdrawal. Syria has denied any involvement in the assassination.

But six years later, the shadow cast by that day still hangs over Lebanon, which finds itself in a political crisis -- in part caused by the bitter divide over the country's special tribunal that is tasked with investigating Hariri's assassination.

Hezbollah is a political faction in Lebanon and provides social services to Shiites, but it has long been regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and as an ally of Iran. It has had longstanding animosity toward the tribunal, based on the expectation that some of its members would be indicted as conspirators in Hariri's assassination.

The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has accused the group's arch-enemy Israel of the assassination. The movement, which fought a war on Lebanese soil against Israel five years ago, claims the tribunal is a plot involving the United States, Israel and France. Ibrahim Mousawi, a Hezbollah media relations officer, said it had no immediate reaction to the indictments.

Rafik Hariri and 22 others were killed on February 14, 2005, when a bomb went off as his motorcade passed by. Saad Hariri, Rafik Hariri's son and a former Lebanese prime minister, said on Thursday the indictments were issued after years "of patience and waiting and a constant national struggle."

Saad Hariri called on all factions to accept Lebanon's "obligations" to the tribunal and said on Thursday "there is no excuse for anyone to escape from this responsibility."

"Today, we witness a distinctive historic moment in the life of Lebanon's political, judicial security, and ethical systems. And I feel in the beat of my heart, the embrace of all the hearts of the Lebanese who defended the cause of justice and refused to bargain on the blood of the martyrs," Saad Hariri said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Hezbollah brought down Saad Hariri's government. His replacement is Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a Sunni political independent who was backed by Hezbollah and its allies.

Nasrallah said in January that Hezbollah nominated Mikati to form "a national salvation government in which parties from across the political spectrum would take part." He disputed the view that Mikati is a Hezbollah figure. He said Mikati is a consensus candidate and "we will not lead the new government and it will not be the government of Hezbollah."

Speaking on TV on Friday, Mikati said the "delicate situation" Lebanon is experiencing "requires us to be wise" and avert civil strife. He stressed that the "indictments -- no matter what their source is -- are not sentences, and that charges need to have compelling evidence, away from any doubt, and that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty."

"This is not a verdict of guilt and any accused person is presumed innocent unless his or her guilt is established at trial," the Special Tribunal said in a statement.

"At this time, the STL has no comment on the identity or identities of the person or persons named in the indictment. Indeed, Judge (Daniel) Fransen has ruled that the indictment shall remain confidential in order to assist the Lebanese authorities in fulfilling their obligations to arrest the accused."

The tribunal says arrest warrants have been submitted to the Lebanese authorities, and that they must inform the tribunal president "within 30 days after the confirmation of the indictment of the measures the state has taken to arrest the person(s) named in the indictment."

CNN's Jenifer Fenton contributed to this report

CNN

Hezbollah leader alleges CIA infiltration

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah -- seen here in September 22, 2006 -- says three spies have been discovered in the group.Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says three spies were discoveredTwo were recruited by the CIA, he saysNasrallah accuses the CIA of acting on behalf of IsraelThe U.S. embassy in Beirut says the claims are false

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the militant Islamic group has uncovered three spies within its ranks, two of whom were recruited by the CIA, Lebanon's state news agency reported.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut dismissed the report as "empty accusations."

Nasrallah declined to give the names of the suspected spies, offering their initials instead, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said in its report Friday.

"The first name is A.B. This person was recruited five months ago by a CIA officer," Nasrallah said.

The alleged spy confessed his relation to the CIA after Hezbollah found out about him, according to Nasrallah.

The second spy, "H.M.," was recruited by the CIA before "A.B." Nasrallah referred to the third accused spy as "M.A.," the NNA reported.

"We confirmed that he collaborated with a foreign body and we are still investigating which one," Nasrallah said about the third suspected spy, according to the agency.

The Hezbollah leader stressed that none of the individuals involved in spying was a high-ranking official and, as such, they were not in a position to harm the organization.

Nasrallah accused the CIA of acting at the insistence of Israel. Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006.

The United States considers Hezbollah, which has close ties to Iran and Syria, to be a terrorist organization. The group is a political party and a major provider of social services in Lebanon, in addition to operating a militant wing.

"When Israel failed to infiltrate Hezbollah, it asked the help of the CIA," Nasrallah said, according to NNA.

A U.S. embassy spokesperson in Beirut rejected Nasrallah's claims.

"These are the same kinds of empty accusations that we have heard repeatedly from Hezbollah. There is no substance to his accusations," the spokesperson said. "It appears as if Nasrallah was addressing internal problems within Hezbollah with which we have nothing to do. Our position towards Hezbollah is well known and has not changed."

CNN

Hezbollah says finds three spies within group (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday the group had captured three spies among its members, two of whom were recruited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency .

"None of these three cases are within the first rank of (Hezbollah's) senior leadership," he said.

Yahoo! News

Bahrain: Hezbollah aiding opposition

New: Opposition denies claims of outside helpBahrain's government claims Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been training opposition figures, report saysThe report details meetings between Hezbollah senior officials and Shiite opposition groupsBahrain's ruling Khalifa family is Sunni Muslim, while about two-thirds of the country are Shiite

Washington (CNN) -- The militant group Hezbollah is actively plotting with the opposition in Bahrain to overthrow the country's ruling family, the government said in a confidential report to the United Nations.

"Evidence confirms that Bahraini elements are being trained in Hezbollah camps specifically established to train assets from the Gulf," the report reads. Bahrain has long made claims that Iran and Hezbollah have sought to fuel instability in the nation.

In the report sent to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Bahrain's government claims Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been training opposition figures at its camps in Lebanon and Iran, in an effort to destabilize the Khalifa monarchy. The report also says the militant group has trained militants for activities in neighboring Gulf countries, according to diplomats who have reviewed it.

The government report urges the United Nations to curb Iran and Hezbollah's interference in the country.

Both Iran and Hezbollah have previously denied involvement in the protests. The Bahraini government has launched a violent crackdown against the protesters and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deployed troops to Bahrain to support the regime.

The report details meetings between Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials of the group with members of Shiite organizations in Bahrain, such as al Wefaq, one of the country's major opposition parties and the banned al Haq group.

In the report, Bahrain alleges Shiite groups coordinated political strategy inside the country and used Hezbollah's television channel, al Manar to mobilize opposition protests.

Abdul-Jalil Khalil, an al Wefaq member of parliament, denied the claims.

"We believe the problem is a political issue and an internal issue and we have no support from the outside," he said, adding al Wefaq has no formal or informal relationship with Hezbollah and does not use al Manar to aid the movement.

"The movement is a peaceful movement," according to Khalil, who said al Wefaq is interested in serious political reform and not in overthrowing the ruling family.

Hassan Mushaimaa, the secretary general of Haq has been detained, and was unavailable to comment on the report.

Bahrain's ruling Khalifa family is Sunni Muslim, while about two-thirds of the country are Shiite.

The State Department has said it believes Iran's role in Bahrain has been minimal, and that the protests in Bahrain were the product of home-grown frustrations of the country's Shiia, who want greater economic and political participation.

The Obama administration has criticized the Bahraini crackdown and called for the government to enter into political dialogue with the opposition.

CNN's Jenifer Fenton contributed to this report

CNN

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