Syria's response to UN report accusations on Hariri assassination

Syria underlined on Saturday that she has fully cooperated with the UN investigating committee on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri while deploring the report does not imply a note contrary to her position in this respect.

The Foreign Ministry Farouk al-Sharaa said in a statement "we emphasize that the Syrian Arab Republic who has fully cooperated with the international investigating committee to uncover truth behind the late Rafiq Hariri killing, is renewing the emphasis that she is the first who is hurt from this crime, mainly that the committee has admitted that it has a long action program, and that it is considering that all persons including those accused are innocent."

The statement expressed sorrow that the report implied an indication to Syrian lack of full cooperation with the international committee.

"Syria has been keen on meeting all Mr. Mehlis demands, and when she preferred that he listen to the Syrian witnesses inside the Syrian territories, the head of the investigating team did not say that he is not agreeing on that," the statement said. The statement added that the choice of the place was left to the committee head and he preferred that the place of the hearings should be close to the Syrian-Lebanese borders and in a site which is fully under the UN control and that is what happened.

It noted that the Syrian authorities have suggested to Mehlis the attendance of the Foreign Ministry adviser in his capability as a lawyer to the hearings sessions and Mehlis was capable to refuse this had he wanted.

The statement expressed Syria's "great astonishment," because the report of Mehlis depended on testimony of (renegade Syrian soldier) Mohammed Zouhari Sidiq, and built accusation against Syria on the basis of his testimony.

The statement noted that this came after providing Mehlis with a complete file proving that Sidiq was forgerer and liar and he has totally lost his credibility.

"We then are surprised to find that the committee is changing Sidiq from a perjury witness who has no credibility into an accusing person, and (changing) a director of the intelligence branch into a driver; a matter that causes credibility loss, seriousness, and professionalism," the statement added.

It said the report of Mehlis was influenced by political atmospheres that prevailed in Lebanon following the assassination, and emerged from preconceptions to reach outcomes of political motivation that put Syria in the accusation circle, defame with not proof.

The Foreign Ministry voiced, "Syria's sadness," that the report had depended and in a nonstop way on sayings attributed to Lebanese personalities well-known for their hatred to Syria. "While the report gave these testimonies full credibility, it neglects testimonies made by Syrian officials," the Ministry said.

The statement noted the report has dealt in large part of it with facts and indications related to the crime including criminal tools and communication means. "Because the report has stressed that the committee needs more work to reach to truth in this respect, therefore we see that this could lead to accuse parties, other than those the report put in advance at the circle of accusation and doubt," the statement said.

Later, the legal advisor at the Foreign Ministry Riad al-Daoudo said in a press conference on Saturday that it was regretful that the Detlev Mehlis report claimed that Syrian Foreign Minister had misled the committee investigating into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri.

"The Foreign Minister didn't want and had no intention of misleading anybody...the Minister told the committee about the meeting which took place between President Bashar al-Assad and the late Hariri on 26 August 2004...and this event is mentioned in Mehlis' report itself which said there was nothing wrong about it...it's sad that the report gave credibility to several testimonies made by Lebanese officials," he added.

Dauodi said it was necessary to reread these testimonies because they came from Lebanese officials who had certain stances over Syria taken after 14 March as part of the so-called March 14 Movement, a move which indicated there was agreement to offer certain testimonies.

He expressed sadness that the report had given weight and credibility to such testimonies.

Daoudi said there was nothing wrong with the letter of Foreign Minister to the committee of Mehlis, and it was up to Mehlis to check it.

He added that there was also nothing wrong about the testimony of Deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim in front of the committee, and stressed that what has been said about a threat in a meeting taking place between Muallim and Hariri was a lie, as it didn't take place.

Daoudi reiterated Syria's commitment to the UN resolutions as long as this legitimacy goes in a balanced and acceptable was. "Syria had started cooperation and would continue with it within the given data which will be presented in every step which will come later," he added.

He also denied any memo of understanding between the committee and Syria, adding there is a "gentleman's agreement." "We were cooperative with the committee according to that agreement to furthest possible extent...but unfortunately the committee said Syria was not cooperative."

He added that one of Mehlis's aides asked that hearings to the testimonies of witnessed should be heard in an area near the Syrian-Lebanese borders, and Syrian authorities did so, and the place in which testimonies were heard was under the UN full security control.

Regarding the presence of Syrian officials in the testimonies as mentioned in the report, Daoudi said this is not true as he personally attended testimonies of witnesses in his capacity as lawyer for some of them with the approval of Mehlis, as happened in Lebanon with some witnesses who brought in their lawyers.

He added that one of the investigators of the committee told him that they were willing to return to Syria to hear the testimonies of some people. "We immediately agreed to this demand, but the committee didn't return," he asserted.

He added that Syria "would take necessary diplomatic steps through diplomatic channels...as for the differences in the points of view and stances among nations, we take them into consideration and study them carefully...Syria is known for its accuracy in studying its dossiers before it takes any stance."

Daoudi said it was strange that the US calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in addition to its talk about imposing sanctions on Syria without understanding the reasons.

He added that Syria criticizes the content of the report and waits for Mehlis to continue his work with seriousness and professionalism and to prove that. "We see that he should not have issued his report in this form, and should have waited until the truth has been completely established and then issue the verdict."

Answering a question on the responsibility of the Syrian Arab forces which were working in Lebanon for the security of that country, Daoudi said the security situation there was the responsibility of the police and security men in Lebanon, adding that what has been mentioned by Mehlis on the responsibility of the Syrian security men contradict what have taken place in other countries (of acts of terrorism) including in the US, London and Spain.