Syrian FM addresses UN Security Council on Hariri assassination report
Syria-UN, Politics, 11/1/2005

Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa delivered Syria's speech at the UN. Security Council in which he presented Syria's position toward the proposed issue at the council.

In his address in a session on the ministerial level Monday, Foreign Minister indicated that the resolution on which the members of the UN Security Council voted contained a number of specific paragraphs which came as a repetition of paragraphs mentioned in the report and directing accusation to Syria of committing the crime of the assassination of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on the one hand, and of absolute non cooperation with the committee on the other hand.

Sharaa added that Syria's main criticism of the report is that it was based on the "assumption that Syria is guilty of committing that crime instead of assuming its innocence," and then the investigation might have searched in different directions for evidence and clues that would lead to the real criminal.

Sharaa quoted the 17th paragraph of the report and said that using words such as " imagining...scenario " or "A reason likely leads to the believe," raises doubts regarding the seriousness of the work of the investigation committee, and leads one to believe that the committee work was launched based on preconceived ideas that have led it to direct accusation against Syria, drawing conclusion from a situation that doesn't really mean it is evidence of the committed crime.

Sharaa pointed out that the "strange thing" is that the "honorable Security Council", has supported the committee in its conclusions, adding that if the presence of a military troops and security apparatuses in a certain country means that any criminal or terrorist act would never take place without the knowledge or approval of these troops and apparatuses, then the security apparatuses in the United States would have learnt of the Sept. 11th events, or the Spanish Security would have learnt about the train bombings in Madrid on April 11th 2004, and the British Security might have been accused of the Metro bombings on July 7th 2005, noting that such apparatuses had been expecting these bombings and had been trained to deal with them.

Sharaa said that directing accusation depending on assumption of that kind, which was adopted by the council decision, is not logical, because it means that the security apparatuses in all the countries of the world that have experienced terrorist and security events may be involved in these crimes, and the first who will be happy with such conclusions are the terrorists themselves.

Foreign Minister al-Sharaa criticized the UN resolution that took into consideration the hypothesis of accusing Syria and neglecting, for reasons we ignore, another suggestion about the possibility of a third party monitoring and pursuing actions against Hariri for more than one month prior to the explosion.

He noted that this party would have the needed capabilities to think, plan and execute a crime of this size without the knowledge of specialized Lebanese authorities. "The most dangerous accusation to Syria your resolution is built on, is the committee claim that Syria was not cooperating with her, except in form and not content. It is a pity that the resolution adopted what came in the report literally in this respect," Shara said.

He voiced "Syria's surprise that this accusation of not cooperation that was directed by the (investigation) committee then was adopted by your council in his decision today, was the obsession of the Syrian Foreign Ministry following the visit of Mr. Mehlis to it that it would provide the committee the best conditions to do her job in the best form and content. The FM has made this with full good intention but it seems that there was someone in the committee who was acting far away from that."

Sharaa noted that the committee was capable of making conditions to listen to whom it wanted to of the Syrians, in an unhindered manner, and to reject any demand form the Syrian authorities, adding that it seems to be now that the intention was programmed to raise the finger of accusation to Syria of not cooperating as to pave the way for issuing such a decision in framework of the 7th chapter of the UN charter.

"It was clear for every one who pursued the subject at that time that Syria's cooperation was full. Regarding, the form, it was possible that the committee will cover all its aspects with no objection from Syria. From the content view point, the committee has to bring the evidence over the truth of those she is listening to, specially the investigation was still open and did not finish yet, according to what came in the committee report. We are ready to brief you in a closed session on details asserting Syria's full cooperation with the committee until today," the minister said.

He voiced surprise that the council has adopted the decision under the 7th chapter of the UN charter, while it did not deal with appropriate way in similar painful cases like Qana massacre in 1996 where the council did not decide to form an international committee because Israel was the accused party.

Minister Sharaa added that Syria, based on commitment to unveil the truth, has taken a decision to fully cooperate with the international committee to reach the hard evidence on the perpetrators of this condemned crime.

"In this context, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has issued a legislative decree No. 96 dated 29.10.2005 on forming a special judicial committee headed by the State's Attorney General to embark investigation with Syrian civilian and military persons regarding the international investigation committee mission," Minister Sharaa said.

He added that the Decree stipulates that the Syrian judicial Committee will cooperate with the Lebanese judicial authorities concerning the investigation procedures.

Sharaa said it should be considerable that the formed judicial committee, to achieve its duty, needs a cooperation with the international investigation committee and the Lebanese judicial authorities.

"This cooperation was not available following the assassination crime due to the unprecedented tension on the Lebanese arena which has been immediately escalated and coincided with directing passionate accusations against Syria," Minister Sharaa added.

He concluded by expressing "Syria's appreciation of all efforts exerted by some Security Council member states to prefer to maintain the international peace and security when discussing the draft resolution as well as to prefer principles instead of pressures and policies of distorting realities and targeting the states' freedom and independence."

"Security Council resolution implication of two items that have no relation to the mission of the international investigation committee which deals with regional issues is a clear indication that the aim of those who sought to propose this resolution was not revealing the truth of the assassination, but rather targeting Syria and its stances toward issues related to the region's present and future," Sharaa said.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian FM addresses UN Security Council on Hariri assassination report   (11/1/2005)
  UN Security Council calls Syria to detain suspects in Hariri murder   (11/1/2005)
  UN Security Council calls Syria to detain suspects in Hariri murder   (11/1/2005)
  Syria starts its own investigation committee into Hariri assassination   (10/31/2005)
  Syrian, Arab and foreign condemnation on Mehlis report   (10/29/2005)
  Nasrullah calls for halting pressure on Syria   (10/29/2005)
  Syria keen to collaborate with UN investigation into Hariri assassination   (10/29/2005)
  Washington, Paris for strong resolution against Syria   (10/29/2005)
  Mehlis call for a Syrian initiated investigation   (10/26/2005)

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