Evidence of Syrian involvement in Hariri murder - UN report
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A UN report cited "converging evidence" pointing at both Syrian and Lebanese involvement in the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.
The report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, was delivered to UN chief Kofi Annan earlier Thursday by German magistrate Detlev Mehlis, who led a four-month investigation into the massive bomb blast that killed Hariri and 20 others in Beirut last February.
"There is converging evidence pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act," it noted.
The report said that it was well known that Syrian military intelligence had a pervasive presence in Lebanon at least until the withdrawal of Syrian forces in line with UN Security Council resolution 1559.
"Given the infiltration of Lebanese institutions and society by the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services working in tandem, it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge," it added.
Syrians walk past a picture of President Bashar al-Assad in the old city of Damascus
©AFP - Louai BesharaThe Hariri slaying last February touched off an international outcry and led many in Lebanon to point the figure at Syria, hastening Damascus's departure from its smaller neighbor in April after a 29-year military presence.
Damascus has strenuously denied any involvement but nonetheless expects Western countries to try to push through sanctions in the Security Council.
Syria's deputy foreign minister, Walid Mouallem, told France's Le Figaro newspaper Thursday that he believed "the United States and France have a plan to increase pressure on Syria and the Mehlis report is the instrument to execute that plan."
He said that, after encouraging other Arab countries to urge Syria to "cut our relations with Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, we are now at the second stage, which aims to isolate us.
"The next stage will be the imposition of economic sanctions through a United Nations resolution. But we think that the Russians and the Chinese will oppose these sanctions," he added.
The report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, was delivered to UN chief Kofi Annan earlier Thursday by German magistrate Detlev Mehlis, who led a four-month investigation into the massive bomb blast that killed Hariri and 20 others in Beirut last February.
"There is converging evidence pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act," it noted.
The report said that it was well known that Syrian military intelligence had a pervasive presence in Lebanon at least until the withdrawal of Syrian forces in line with UN Security Council resolution 1559.
"Given the infiltration of Lebanese institutions and society by the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services working in tandem, it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge," it added.
Syrians walk past a picture of President Bashar al-Assad in the old city of Damascus
©AFP - Louai BesharaThe Hariri slaying last February touched off an international outcry and led many in Lebanon to point the figure at Syria, hastening Damascus's departure from its smaller neighbor in April after a 29-year military presence.
Damascus has strenuously denied any involvement but nonetheless expects Western countries to try to push through sanctions in the Security Council.
Syria's deputy foreign minister, Walid Mouallem, told France's Le Figaro newspaper Thursday that he believed "the United States and France have a plan to increase pressure on Syria and the Mehlis report is the instrument to execute that plan."
He said that, after encouraging other Arab countries to urge Syria to "cut our relations with Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, we are now at the second stage, which aims to isolate us.
"The next stage will be the imposition of economic sanctions through a United Nations resolution. But we think that the Russians and the Chinese will oppose these sanctions," he added.
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