Will anybody stand up to Hezbollah???

Will the world let them torpedo the Hariri tribunal???

Political tension is mounting in Lebanon as Hezbollah and its allies ratchet up pressure aiming to discredit a UN-backed tribunal expected to implicate the powerful militant group in the murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.

The latest salvo came on Thursday when Hezbollah deputies and their allies refused to approve Lebanon's share of funding for the tribunal, charging that the court was politicised and part of a US and Israeli ploy.

The measure was largely symbolic, however, since parliament is expected to give its approval and most of this year's 40 million dollars in funds have already been disbursed by the government.

But it was seen as a further bid to chip away at the credibility of the tribunal and discredit any of its decisions, at least on a local and regional level.

"As far as Hezbollah is concerned, if the Lebanese government decides that the tribunal is null and void, that would be an important step in the right direction," said Hilal Khashan of at the American University of Beirut.