Lebanon turmoil will not deter UN vote on Hariri court -- US

Referring to the deadly clashes between Islamist militants and Lebanese security forces in northern Lebanon, US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters: "This violence will not deter the Security Council from moving forward."

But the US envoy did not say exactly when the 15-member Council planned to vote on a draft resolution put forward by the United States, France and Britain to set up the proposed court to hear the Hariri case.

Hariri and 22 other people were killed in a massive bomb blast in February 2005, widely blamed on Syria, which was then forced to end nearly 30 years of military and political domination in Lebanon. Damascus has denied any role in the slaying.

"We need to deter such actions (political assassinations) in the future not only in Lebanon but beyond Lebanon," Khalilzad said.

Earlier Tuesday Islamist militants declared a ceasefire after three days of fierce battles with Lebanese troops at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, but two civilians were gunned down just hours later as UN workers delivered desperately needed aid.

The announcement came early in the afternoon, with fighting already at a lull at Nahr al-Bared, a squalid camp transformed into a war zone by a barrage of tank and artillery fire aimed at wiping out the Al-Qaeda-inspired Sunni group Fatah al-Islam.

At least 68 people have been killed and scores more wounded in three days of fighting between the Islamist extremists and Lebanese government troops.

Khalilzad reiterated that the three Western powers put forward their resolution on the tribunal because UN chief Ban Ki-moon indicated there was "no domestic option for the establishment of the tribunal."

Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition has blocked parliamentary ratification of an agreement by the UN and the Western-backed Lebanese government to create the tribunal. The opposition claims the Security Council would use the court for political ends.

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