Wrangling over the prospect of an international court and the discovery of mass graves rattles Lebanon, writes Hicham Safieddine The first extension of the United Nations investigation mission into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri is coming to a close. While a third mandate is about to begin, political uncertainty over the future of the probe and the stability of the governing coalition is mounting. The Lebanese woke up over the weekend to disturbing news of the unearthing of a mass grave near the town of Anjar, close to the Syrian border. The town was home to one of Syria's intelligence headquarters in Lebanon during and after the civil war. The remains of around 25 bodies, believed to be of tortured military personnel or civilians, were found, and the number may rise following continuing excavations. The revelation sent shock waves among the populace and brought back memories of the civil war. Syria has denied accusations it was behind the deaths and blamed remnants of civil war militias for it. Preliminary tests on the bodies suggest they date back a decade or so but many Lebanese believe they were victims of torture at the hands of Syrian intelligence officers. The pressure on Syria to be held accountable of the deaths in light of the revelation comes at a time when five high-profile Syrian officers are under interrogation by United Nations investigator Detlev Mehlis in Vienna. The interviews are shrouded in secrecy. The names of the people questioned have not been officially released, but it is widely believed they include Rostom Gazali, former Syrian security chief in Lebanon and exclude Asif Shawkat, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's brother-in-law. The interrogation of Gazali and his assistant Jama Jama reportedly took place on Tuesday and the three others on Wednesday. Mehlis himself has expressed unwillingness to continue to head the investigation team after the extension of its mandate past 15 December, but pressure by the United States and a UN request are expected to persuade him to remain involved for a third term. Al-Hariri's son Saad, who currently heads the largest parliamentary block, said the investigation will move on regardless of who is at its head. "There are several issues that we will not compromise over such as the international court," Hariri said on Saturday at a dinner held in his honour by the Emirates- Lebanese Friendship Association. Hariri reassured the audience that disagreement over the setting up of an international court will not cause a schism between different sects or powers in Lebanon and reiterated that there will be no compromise either in opposing external pressure to disarm Hizbullah. But the ruling alliance between Hariri, Jumblatt, the Shia movement Amal and Hizbullah is weaker than ever. For Amal and Hizbullah, who are part of the current government, have voiced their refusal to approve the forming of an international court. The head of Hizbullah's parliamentarian bloc Mohamed Raad reiterated his party's position on the matter. "It is too early for a request to set up an international court; and do we set up one then ask for amendments later on?" he wondered. Efforts to bridge the gap in points of view between the different factions remain unfruitful. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, whose faction stands mid-way in their views between the Hariri bloc on one side and Hizbullah and Amal on the other, travelled to the Gulf region for further talks with Saudi officials on the matter. His decision to back either side might tilt the balance for or against supporting the establishment of an international court. But even if consensus is reached, the choice of location, powers and mandate of such a court is a long way from being agreed on. The ability of the court to reach a firm conclusion in the matter before it is also questionable given the recent developments concerning the credibility of the witnesses whose testimony was used to back the Mehlis report. In a surprise televised testimony last week, a Syrian national named Hossam Hossam had announced from Syria that he was the "masked" witness who was cited by Mehlis in the report. Hossam also claimed that he lied in his testimony after being threatened and offered a large sum of money in return. The UN team confirmed Hossam was a witness but said he volunteered his testimony under no pressure. He is rumoured to be the civilian among those called in for testimony in Vienna. With discord among different Lebanese factions on the rise, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami wrapped up a visit to Lebanon in which he met politicians and community leaders from different groups including Maronite church leader Nasrallah Sfeir, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and Christian leader Michael Aoun. Khatami's visit focused on dialogue between civilisations in the world at large, but it was perhaps telling that his call coincided with a time when dialogue among power brokers in the same country he issued his call form is becoming increasingly difficult.
