[JURIST] US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad [official profile] said Tuesday that the US will submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to establish a tribunal under Chapter VII of the UN Charter [texts] to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri [JURIST news archive]. According to Khalilzad, the US decided to submit the proposal after Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora [BBC profile] formally requested the UN's unilateral establishment of the tribunal [JURIST report] in a letter to Ban Monday. Siniora told Ban that previous efforts to gain Lebanese parliamentary ratification of the tribunal plan had failed.

At a press conference [transcript] at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon supported a Security Council initiative [UN press release], saying:

I am of the view that, after having exhausted all diplomatic efforts by the United Nations, including myself, and having received an official request from the Government of Lebanon, asking the Security Council to take necessary action, I think it is necessary for the Security Council to take necessary action. I hope the Security Council members will debate on this matter and take necessary action. I am of the view, in my capacity as Secretary-General that, as a matter of principle, there should be no impunity for the perpetrators of political assassinations. It is important that there should be firm principles respected.

AFP has more.