Legal Advisor at Foreign Ministry-Press Conference on Mehlis Report

Damascus 22-10 (SANA)

The legal advisor at the Foreign Ministry Dr. Riad al-Daoudo said in a press conference on Saturday that it was regretful that Detlev Mehlis report claimed that Syrian Foreign Minister had misled the committee investigating into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik 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 sorrowful that the report gave credibility to several testimonies made by Lebanese officials," he added.

Mr. 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 sorrow that the report had given weight and credibility to such testimonies.

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

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

Mr. Daoudi reiterated Syria's commitment to the international legitimacy 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 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 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, Mr. 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 Mr. 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 thorough 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."

Mr. Daoudi said he was strange that the U.S. calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in addition to its talk about imposing sanctions on Syria without understanding the reasins.

He added that Syria's 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 issue his report in this form and should have waited until the truth has been complete in his hands 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, Mr. 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 including the U.S., London and Spain.

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