|
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N.'s top lawyer said Wednesday he had failed to persuade Lebanon's rival factions to approve an international tribunal in the assassination of a former prime minister, prompting the U.S. to warn that the Security Council could create one without Lebanese approval.
Nicolas Michel, the undersecretary-general for legal affairs, told the council that on a trip to Lebanon last month, he found the anti-Syria, Western-backed ruling coalition and the pro-Syria opposition deadlocked over the tribunal. The opposition insists on a veto-wielding share in a new Cabinet before any action on the tribunal, which must be approved by the parliament.
Michel said the two sides "expressed support in principle for the establishment of the tribunal" but could not reach an agreement.
|