The Hague - Naharnet Exclusive

From the very first minutes of the opening session of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon trials in The Hague, the strategies of the court's competing organs became evident.

The U.S. embassy in Lebanon on Thursday condemned the “terrorist bombing” that rocked the Bekaa town of Hermel, urging all parties to exercise restraint and calling for “a thorough investigation.”

“The United States condemns today’s terrorist bombing in Hermel. We extend our condolences to the victims and their families,” the embassy said in a statement.

The army on Thursday intercepted a car carrying shells and ammunition on the al-Namliyeh Bridge in Dahr al-Baydar in the Bekaa, state-run National News Agency reported.

“The Lebanese army stopped on the al-Namliyeh Bridge a gray Mazda carrying a license plate with the number 149011/T and driven by Lebanese national Bilal Hasan Khalaf,” NNA said.

The owner of the booby-trapped Kia Sportage that exploded Thursday in Hermel confirmed in a TV interview that the SUV was stolen from outside his house in Antelias on November 10, 2013.

Nazrat Kasbar Shahinian told al-Jadeed television that he had immediately reported the theft to the Antelias police station around two months ago.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly, strongly condemned on Thursday the car bombing in the northeastern Bekaa region of Hermel, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.

While aware of the pain and anger generated by such violence, he urged all Lebanese to exercise restraint, his press office said in a statement.

One person was killed and five others wounded after a water tanker driver lost control of his vehicle near Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut's district of Ashrafieh.

In the rush-hour accident, the truck crashed into seven cars.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri described on Thursday the launch of the trial of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as an historic day for Lebanon.

He said from The Hague: “The course of justice will not halt and there is no point for some sides to continue gloating over their refusal to hand over the accused.”

An Iranian judicial delegation, headed by deputy Justice Minister Abdul Ali Mirkouhi, held talks in Thursday with caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on the investigation into the twin bombings that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut in November, reported the National News Agency.

The delegation voiced its readiness to cooperate with and offer its expertise to Lebanese authorities in the ongoing investigation and their fight against terrorism.

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc stated on Thursday that it looks forward to the establishment of Iranian-Lebanese ties based on mutual respect to each country's people, lamenting that this has not yet happened.

It said after its weekly meeting: “Iranian support for Lebanon does not lies in diplomatic statements, but in ceasing to employ Hizbullah in the fighting in Syria.”

March 14 independent MP Butros Harb stressed that the March 14 alliance has an agreement over the broad headlines of the cabinet formation process, stressing that the formation of a neutral cabinet remains better than vacuum amid the delicate situation Lebanon is passing through.

“There is a comprehensive meeting over the main principles with the Lebanese Forces,” Harb said after talks with head of the LF party Samir Geagea in Meraab on Wednesday night.