Chapter 7 and the tribunal

Despite the hesitation of the United Nations secretariat andthe warnings of the Lebanese opposition, the adoption of theInternational Tribunal under a Chapter 7 mandate appearsalmost certain. The government and its supporters have stepped up efforts tohave the tribunal adopted under Chapter 7, believing thatonce it becomes a fait accompli it will break the politicaldeadlock with the opposition. There is much uncertainty over the powers and legalparameters of the tribunal which has only helped exacerbatethe tensions surrounding its formation. Hizbullah says it isworried that the US—the main external driving force behindthe tribunal—will use it as a political weapon to settle oldscores, such as reopening “files” dating back to the suicidebombings and kidnappings of the 1980s. Those fears are notwholly without foundation. One senior Christian politiciantold me that was exactly what he hoped would happen once thetribunal is formed so as to undermine Hizbullah’s oppositionrole. Former Prime Minister Omar Karami has suggested