BEIRUT: The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, will not be safe if there is strife following the release of an indictment into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, former Cabinet minister Wi’am Wahhab has warned.

Wahhab, a pro-Syrian politician allied with Hizbullah, has repeatedly lashed out at the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), dismissing it as an “American-Israeli” tool designed to target the resistance. He and other leaders in the March 8 camp have called for the abolition of the STL altogether. The STL is expected to issue its indictment into Hariri’s killing this month.

“If the outside [world] is indifferent toward strife in Lebanon, we can confirm that in the event of strife, UNIFIL troops in Lebanon will not be left in peace,” Wahhab said in a statement published by newspapers Sunday.

A UNIFIL spokesperson refused to comment on Wahhab’s remarks when contacted by The Daily Star. “Usually, we don’t comment on such reports,” he said.

Wahhab said that if strife occurs, there will be no need for UNIFIL to stay in south Lebanon, accusing the UN peacekeepers of serving as spies for Israel.

“The [Lebanese] Army is capable of ensuring security. Judging by the STL’s work and UNIFIL troops’ behavior, it seems that they [UN peacekeepers] are spies for Israel,” Wahhab said, adding,

“This was confirmed by the former UNIFIL commander in his statement that all UNIFIL information goes to the Israelis,” he added.

UNIFIL has in the past received threats from Al-Qaeda-linked militant groups, prompting the UN force to take extra security measures.

The Lebanese are jittery and worried about the consequences of the STL’s indictment, which is widely expected to implicate some Hizbullah members. As  the release of the indictment approaches, political tension is rising between the March 8 and March 14 camps as the two sides remain sharply split over the STL’s indictment, raising fears of sectarian strife. The split has paralyzed the Cabinet, which has not met since November 10.

“Today, all the people are worried about the future and the developments that could happen regarding the tribunal and other issues,” Wahhab said.