U.S.: Khamenei Doesn't Have Authority Over Tribunal
The United States slammed Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his rejection of any ruling by the international tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Khamenei "does not have the authority over the tribunal. It was convened by the United Nations," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.
When asked if he considered Khamenei's statement as an interference in Lebanon's affairs, Crowley said: "We regret that there are many in the region who have chosen to politicize the work of the tribunal."
He reiterated U.S. support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, stressing that the court "is an independent judicial institution created by the United Nations and Lebanon and brought into force by the U.N. Security Council."
"The establishment of the tribunal was a clear sign that Lebanon's sovereignty is nonnegotiable," Crowley told reporters.
He said the release of indictments is entirely the decision of STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare. "The United States has never and will never attempt to influence his decision."
"Neither our support for the work of the tribunal nor our policy with respect to Iran has changed," Crowley added.
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