The Intimidation of Judge Riachi Continues

From the Daily Star:

BEIRUT: Justice Minister Charles Rizk said on Tuesday that veteran Judge Ralph Riachi's home in Al-Douwar, Mount Lebanon, had been vandalized by unknown individuals late Sunday in an apparent attempt to intimidate the jurist. Riachi is one of two judges assigned by the Lebanese government to cooperate with United Nations officials in setting up the international tribunal to try suspects in former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder.

According to L’Orient-LeJour (April 22, 2008), this was the THIRD breaking-in of Riachi’s home. His Jounieh apartment was also broken into, but only once.

"Apparent" attempt my foot! OF COURSE it is an attempt to intimidate Judge Riachi (and others) involved in the sensitive Hariri case.

[Justice Minister] Rizk urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon to speed up the appointment of Canadian Judge Daniel Bellemare as prosecutor general on the tribunal in a bid to protect the Lebanese judges by exempting them from their current duties.

Excuse me? Protect our judges by “exempting” them from duties? Of course the international tribunal should be sped up and pressure relieved on Lebanese under threat. But I have news for Charles Rizk, the pressure is never going away until the state wakes up and takes RADICAL action (reappointments, firings of moles and saboteurs, martial law or emergency powers, all that until these threats stop).

Rizk argued that delaying the appointment was putting the lives of Riachi and other Lebanese judges at risk. "What are we waiting for? Does a Lebanese judge have to get killed before Bellemare takes full charge of the case?" Rizk asked.

Indeed you fool! The UN should move but what are YOU and PM Saniora waiting for? MP Walid Eido who was involved with the tribunal's by-laws was killed along with 10 other people. The top Hariri investigator, ISF Capt. Wissam Eid, was killed along with his bodyguard. And on and on and on. You can be sure that lowly employees handling files and evidence are constantly bribed and/or threatened and we never hear about it.

The UN moves like a snail and is not personally threatened like your very own government. What’s your excuse Mr. Minister?

Why aren’t Riachi and his homes and his family PROTECTED 24/7? Does posting two guards in front of his home require a presidential election, parliamentary dialogue, and a solution to regional tensions?

And why isn’t this front-page news, as well as front-page editorial DEMANDS for answers? Too pedestrian for our editorial writers busy, way over their tiny heads, with high-flying international politics?