Syria Refutes Mehlis Report’s Allegations

New York , Damascus Oct.25 ( SANA)

Syria ’s permanent Envoy to the United Nations Faisal Miqdad on Tuesday said the report of the international investigation team into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri “was basically affected by the political circumstances which prevailed in Lebanon following the crime”.

“It is regretful to read a strange hypothesis in the report saying that as there was a Syrian military and security presence in Lebanon, the assassination could not be done without prior knowledge of Syrian and Lebanese security authorities…based on this presumption, the report adopted in its 8th article the hypothesis of accusing Syria,” Miqdad told a UN Security Council hearing session held to discuss the report of German Investigator Detleve Mehlis.

“The report has depended on testimonies of persons who have known stances against Syria … so these testimonies lack credibility,” Miqdad went on.

“Mehlis report points an accusation finger to my country before the completion of the report, and the Committee underlined that it has to continue investigations and research a number of points which are basic to really know who carried out this crime,” Miqdad said.

“Article 20 of the report underlines that investigation into this complicated, multi-sided terrorist act usually needs months, if not years, to be completed,” Syria ’s permanent Envoy said.

Syria on Tuesday stressed that the report of the international investigation team into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri “should not be used by some UN Security Council members for purposes that wouldn’t serve the target for which the international committee was formed.’

This was done during a telephone call made by President Bashar al-Assad to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during which talks dealt with Syria ’s stance toward the report of International Investigator Detlev Mehlis and the cooperation she offered to the Committee.

President Putin of Russia , for his part, underlined the importance that the international organization’s works “be well- balanced without the rise of new tension points in the region”.

The two presidents agreed to continue contacts between both countries on high levels.

The People's Assembly ( parliament) decided on Thursday to send a statement on report of the UN investigating Committee on assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to Arab and International parliaments as to clarify "justice of the Syrian position in this respect."

They also highly estimated statements of Russian and Chinese officials who rejected any sanctions imposition on Syria.

Parliament members underlined in their interpositions today that: " it is a must to take practical procedures to face what Syria is exposed to due to the report because delicacy of the time today requires a fast movement with the participation of all. We should not stop at the report condemnation, but rather we ought to invite presspersons to visit Syria and know the justice of the Syrian stand."

They noted that they would make the statement reach the "Arab and international parliaments as well heads of diplomatic corpses accredited in Syria."

" this is to embody the reality that people representatives in Syria are rejecting politicizing the assassination crime of Hariri," MPs said.

People's Assembly members had emphasized the deviation of Mehlis report of truth to serve suspicious political aims and colonial projects in the Arab region saying, "Syria who is well known for commitment to the international legitimacy resolutions, has fully cooperated with the international investigation committee to unveil truth, because to uncover show cards of the conspirators against Lebanon and Syria as well the Arab nation and make them nude due to what they have perpetrated is Syria's only concern."

They stressed the strength of Syria's unity and solidity of the interior front in Syria will foil schemes plotted against her.

Earlier, Hundreds of Thousands of Damascene took to the streets in a demonstration to protest the international report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and support of Syria 's stances.

The participants raised President Bashar al-Assad's photos and banners that voice the firm national unity in facing schemes targeting Syria .

Damascus residences issued a statement in which they vehemently condemned the UN report and the US threats against Syria .

Syria, continuously, has been respecting the United Nations and committed to the international legitimacy resolutions, so she has completely cooperated with the UN investigation committee on assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri because she is the first damaged from this heinous crime, the statement said.

" The report, regrettably, didn't help neither Syria nor Lebanon to reach the truth but rather it created an atmosphere of rumors, misleading talks." The statement said.

" Its issuing in this wide scaled way while it lacked the secrecy and objectivity of profession is a crystal clear proof on the committee to politicize the report."

" The committee can't free itself from the responsibility and from the political results which the report left and will leave in each of Syria , Lebanon and the Arab and Foreign countries." The statement included, stressing that the report was displayed in a way that helps a pressing forces to condemn and threaten Syria .

"Due to fallacies, assumptions and legal gaps in the report it is unqualified to be an international judiciary document to deal with by the international community and its institutions." The statement said.

" Syria is proud for being among the states who founded the UN Charter and committed to its resolutions which call for liberating the occupied Arab territories, returning the occupied Syrian Golan as well achieving the just and comprehensive peace in the region." The statement added .

The statement stressed that Syria has been calling for implementing the legitimacy resolutions away from the double standard policy that serves continuation of the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories.

"The report ignored presence of Israel in the region, which is the first beneficiary from what is going on, " the statement pointed out, asserting that the report is invested in the frame work of the continuous pressures on Syria since issuing the resolutions 1559 including expressions and conclusions used persistently by the United States, Israel, and antagonists of Syria in Lebanon via the mass media that support these sides.

" Our people who believes in values of right, freedom, dignity and firmly stands behind the wise policy of his leadership and National Progressive Front, strongly rejects null and void accusations and fabricated conclusions included in the report and calls to uncover the criminals."

"Our people in Damascus and all over HOME stands in a one rank to announce the absolute reject of the continuous US threats and pressures against Syria . Those threats increased after the occupation of Iraq and is still searching pretext to inflame the situation in the region and in this context came the heinous crime of Hariri assassination." The statement added.

“ Your national unity is the rock on which all the conspiracies that Syria has witnessed were broken. This unity is the guarantee to foil the new series of these schemes that target the national unity and to destabilize your self-confidence and capabilities to surmount these pressures directed against your will and national dignity and to sow dissension and division and as well to destabilize the region.” The statement said.

“ The strong national unity represented by the adherence of all citizens and their political parties with President Bashar al-Assad who leads Syria towards the future with firm, national and Pan-Arab will is going to overcome all challenges that face our country at this critical situation, particularly the attempts to impose siege and isolation , but our people will be stronger than any of these attempts.”

" The future is always for the peoples and their legitimate causes." The statement concluded .

On the 23rd of October, President Bashar al-Assad sent letters to the Heads of member states at the UN Security Council on Syria's stance over the report presented by the head of the international investigation committee to the UN Secretary General on October 20 and the scheduled consultations at the Security Council regarding this issue as well.

The Foreign Ministry summoned ambassadors of these states in Damascus and handed them the letter of President Assad.

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