Why does the Lebanese government blame Syria for the latest fighting?
The Siniora government has been pressing the UN security council to create a special tribunal to try those suspected of involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, the billionaire businessman who was the architect of Lebanon’s reconstruction after the civil war. In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the council established the tribunal, with China and Russia abstaining. UN investigators have identified murder suspects close to the top of Syria’s security network. Is the fighting linked to the tribunal? Syria has said it will refuse to cooperate with Hariri tribunal and yesterday reacted angrily to the UN vote, calling the tribunal “political, not criminal.” Its Lebanese allies, such as Hizbullah, have warned of trouble if the UN goes ahead with it. Analysts believe Syria is giving the Lebanese government a taste of things to come by supporting Fatah al-Islam. The Nahr el-Bared camp lies only 10 miles from the border with Syria, so it is plausi
