As the world awaits the United Nations indictment of Hizballah leadership for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, members of the terrorist organization and its allies continue attempts to destabilize the Lebanese government. CNN is reporting that members of Hizballah and its allies resigned Wednesday from Lebanon's unity government.
The actions reportedly occurred while Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was meeting with President Barack Obama. Hariri, the son of the slain former Prime Minister, has refused to disavow the UN tribunal investigating his father's assassination despite Hizballah claims that it is all part of a U.S.-Israeli plot. The resignations, which will likely lead to the collapse of the already fragile unity government, is only the most recent attempt by Hizballah to shut down the UN probe.
Hariri was assassinated by a suicide bomber on February 14, 2005, and since that time the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has been investigating the murder. The tribunal, which was expected to conclude its work by the end of 2010, will reportedly indict at least six Hizballah officials in the plot. Hizballah and its allies have tried to shut down the investigation each opportunity they had.
In one of the more forceful attempts at intimidating the Lebanese government and UN Tribunal, Syria issued arrest warrants for 33 people, including Lebanese judges and international officials, for allegedly misleading the investigation. It was subsequently reported that Hizballah and its allies have detailed plans to seize control of Beirut if the indictments are issued. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has criticized Hizballah for its "attempt to create a false choice between justice and stability."