Aoun Renews STL Funding Rejection, Stresses: Syrian Regime Able to Defend Itself  http://en.moqawama.org/essaydetails.php?eid=15828&cid=274  "Change and Reform Bloc" leader MP Michel Aoun wondered Tuesday "why would we put the entire Lebanese 2012 state budget on hold for the sake of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon funds which are worth $30 million?"In an interview with OTV, Aoun asked "The tribunal is 6-year-old, so why don't we wait for another six months to settle its constitutional status?"Aoun also renewed his rejection for STL funding stating that "this STL is not constitutional, and was passed and smuggled between former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government and the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon.""This targets the Lebanese judiciary; Siniora and Ban Ki-moon jumped over the President and the Lebanese judiciary as well as the parliament," he explained.

"How can UNSG Mr. Ban Ki-moon convince me that world peace is threatened because of the crimes that happened in Lebanon?" he added.Slamming the United Nations, Aoun said "throughout 63 years, we have not heard any outcry from the U.N. concerning the Palestinian people and its plight."Aoun called the Lebanese to differentiate between superficial and real independence."There is a resistance movement and the threats are still the same. There is ambiguity because we don't understand what sovereignty is. If we say we don't want the Resistance we would be losing our cause. On whom shall we rely?"Regarding the Syrian situation, the "Change and Reform Bloc" leader emphasized that "Some has challenged us in terms of establishing relations with Syria, and we did so, and today they want us to cut off our relationship with Damascus, and to make Lebanon a base for launching attacks against Syria, and we reject this."Pointing out that he seeks "good-neighborly true relationship with Syria," Aoun stressed that "what the foreign plot seeks is the head of the Syrian regime, which is not a minority, and can defend itself."