AJC Applauds STL Indictments Against Alleged Hezbollah Terrorists

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Jul 01, 2011, 02:01 ET

NEW YORK, July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC applauded the decision of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), a UN body investigating the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, to issue criminal indictments against four Hezbollah terrorists accused of the murder. Along with Hariri, 21 others were killed when the former Prime Minister's motorcade was bombed in Beirut on February 14, 2005.

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"By releasing these indictments, the STL has shown that it will not be intimidated by Hezbollah threats," said AJC Executive Director David Harris." The international community must now be on high alert to ensure that Hezbollah does not attempt, as its Syrian and Iranian paymasters have done, to create a diversion with Israel. The only goal that matters is that the assassins of Lebanon's elected Prime Minister be brought swiftly to justice."

Lebanese media outlets named the terrorists as Assad Sabra, Hassan Issa, Salim Ayachhe and Moustaf Badredine, all senior members of Hezbollah. Hariri's son, Saad, welcomed the indictments and called it a "historic moment". The indictments have dealt a heavy blow to Hezbollah's self-image as a "national resistance movement."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee