Mehlis ready to visit Damascus in investigation of Hariri assassination
Chairman of the UN investigation committee to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, Detlev Mehlis, expressed his readiness to head for Damascus to continue investigations.
Mehlis said in a press conference on Thursday that should there be problems over the Syrian cooperation on the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, then he is ready to head for Damascus to follow up on the investigation. He expressed hope to solve these problems "because without cooperation, we will not have a complete picture on the situation."
He also stressed that there are other persons who are involved in the assassination incident, noting that the five Lebanese officials who were detained and interrogated are just part of the picture, noting simultaneously that the Lebanese president was not investigated at any time, neither as a witness nor in any other position. The UN investigator denied that he had received any evidence from the Israeli side, ruling out simultaneously that his committee will be able to finish its work by mid September.
Meantime, Arab Socialist party official underlined Thursday that Syria has no ties with the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq al-Hariri.
"Syria is confident that the international investigation will prove she has no ties with what happened but rather it will say that Syria is more negatively effected due to what happened," Assistant Regional Secretary of the Baath Party Said Bkhitan told Arab Writers annual meeting opening.
He noted that Syria is now stressing the need not to turn the investigation committee nature into an political issue. Bkhitan said that Syria is now facing "unfair and false accusations," at a time she is stressing keenness on cooperation with the UN investigation committee in Lebanon.
UN investigator into the killing of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri voiced Thursday optimism over the Syrian cooperation with the investigation.
"There is no suspected Syrian and I am willing to visit Syria to meet Syrians who served in Lebanon as witnesses. I am confident the investigation committee will get all the needed help from Syria," said at a press conference.
He announced that the investigation was still continuous and that some progress was made on many fronts noting that the committee sought a special aid from third countries in search of meeting some of their citizens stressing that this demand "is not an interference in affaires of a member state to the UN or an accusation to her of making any mistakes."