Syria's NPF criticizes Mehlis report

The Central leadership of the National Progressive Front ( NPF) in Syria on Sunday stressed that the report of the international investigation committee into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri was not new or surprising, adding it included contradictions and manipulations of facts and realities.

The leadership said in a statement that the premise which preceded the publication of the report had predicted in advance that the report would incorporate such things for political aims to affect the stances of Syria.

It added that "what is new and surprising in the report is that it went so far in dependence on suspicions and statements attributed to people who lack minimum level of credibility and relied on preconceived ideas that led to conclusions irrelevant to any evidences. The aim behind this is to list the name of Syria in an issue everybody knows it was the first to be affected from."

"The report depended on statements attributed to people known for their anti-Syrian stances as well as on testimonies of people who cannot be trusted. It depended on suspicions, probabilities and assumptions and so on, to the extent that no investigator can rely on to tackle with any accusations. The report also didn't give attention to the testimonies presented by Syrian officials, and at the same time distorted the contents of other testimonies and took it out off its context," the statement said.

It went on to say that "Syria had positively responded to all the demands of the investigation committee. Syria spared no efforts in securing all the needs of the committee to do its duties, but despite this the report mentioned that Syria didn't fully cooperate with the international committee."

"All these facts asserts one thing: the committee was under effect of pressure by circles interested in inflicting harm on Syria and weakening its stances, as well as pushing it into the accusation spot to serve political ends which are related to plots against the region," the NPF Command said.

It concluded that the NPF with all its parties stress that Syria would continue to commit to its national interests and the interests of the Arab Nation. "Syria sees that these mounting pressures would further strengthen it, and would make us more determined to enhance our national unity and mobilize all the capabilities and potential powers in the face of these challenges."