The leader of the Dutch parliamentary foreign policy committee says he has urged the Lebanese government to continue cooperating with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague.

MP Henk Jan Ormel - currently in Lebanon with the committee, which is on a tour of the Middle East - told Radio Netherlands Worldwide: “We emphatically urged continued Lebanese support for the tribunal, including from the new government.” >

The Dutch delegation began its tour of the Middle East on Sunday despite a boycott by the left-wing opposition prompted by Israel’s refusal to grant the delegation permission to visit the Gaza Strip.

The Dutch MPs met the new Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday. The delegation expressed concern about the future of the tribunal to Prime Minister Mikati, who is supported by the Hezbollah party.

Obligations
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is investigating the bomb attack on former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. He and 22 other Lebanese citizens were killed when a truck packed with about 1,000 kilos of explosives was set off.

The previous Lebanese cabinet, led by Rafiq Hariri’s Saad party, fell after Hezbollah withdrew its support last month. The militant Shi'ite party demanded that the government end all cooperation with the tribunal in The Hague. The party’s opposition to the legal forum reportedly stems from its alleged involvement in the assassination of Mr Hariri.

However, according to the Dutch delegation leader, Prime Minister Mikati said, “Lebanon would continue to meet its international obligations.”

Delaying tactics
However, the prime minister failed to allay all Mr Ormel’s concerns. The Dutch MP said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Beirut was engaged in delaying tactics.”

Criticism of the tribunal is not limited to the strong objections voiced by Hezbollah. In a meeting with the Dutch delegation, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman pointed to the arrests of four Lebanese generals “on the basis of false testimony.”

Mr Ormel said the criticisms should not go as far as to question the credibility and necessity of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

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© Radio Netherlands Worldwide