Saudi-Syrian Solution Seen for Lebanon

As anxiety grows in anticipation of the release of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) findings in the case of the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, it is believed a solution reached by Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad will be implemented in Lebanon. Fears of a violent reaction by Hizbullah and even talk of a possible coup d’état have been rife since Hizbullah chief Sheikh Sayyid Hasan Na’srallah issued threats against those who would act on indictments expected against members of his group. Local media reports indicate that the Abdullah-Al-Asad solution also includes the issue of arrest warrants issued by Syria for those alleged to have been “false witnesses” by implicating Syria and its proxy Hizbullah in the assassination. Na’srallah has been quoted as saying that the Abdullah-Al-Asad compromise needs to be in place before the release of the United Nations STL report. According to the Beirut Daily Star, the expected solution might include a government shake-up. It is also believed that a visit to Washington by French President Nicolas Sarkozy will play a key role in securing international support for the plan.