Hezbollah insists that it wasn鈥檛 involved in the Hariri assassination and maintains that the tribunal is a 鈥�political tool wielded by the West鈥� to put pressure on Hezbollah (the US is a staunch supporter of the tribunal). It has attempted to undermine the tribunal by portraying its members as motivated to undermine Hezbollah rather than to bring justice to those responsible for Hariri鈥檚 death.
Hezbollah has pressured Prime Minister Saad Hariri to end Lebanon's participation in the tribunal but he has refused to back down. In protest, Hezbollah and its allies left the government Jan. 11, causing it to collapse.
