U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will send top U.N. legal adviser Nicolas Michel to Lebanon on Monday to discuss the possibility of creating an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The purpose of his visit to Lebanon is to offer his legal assistance to the Lebanese government and political leaders to help their constitutional procedures. "I sincerely hope that his visit will help the political leaders of Lebanon in their efforts to proceed to ratify so that the Lebanon tribunal can be established as soon as possible," Ban told reporters. Currently, a session of Lebanese parliament must be called, in order for the body to approve the creation of an international tribunal to try Hariri's killers. Michel stressed to reporters that the United Nations was offering its help to Lebanon and the Lebanese government in response to a request by the government. "We want to assist the Lebanese, it was not the intention of the U.N. to impose anything," he said. "I am going with a very open mind and a very open spirit. We are offering to all the parties to meet with them. I am ready and prepared to talk with every party in Lebanon," Michel said, adding that he would arrive in Beirut on Tuesday and spend several days "speaking to whoever wants to speak with me." "We want to make sure that everybody can share his or her proposals. We very much recognize and value efforts that have been made by the Arab League and others in the region, and we are part of their efforts, and we want it to be complimentary," said Michel. For adoption of the legal basis, we need to have some sufficient clarification this year, Michel said. " There is an element of time there." Michel will report back to the U.N. Security Council when he returns to New York City.
