Syrian paper says UN report on Hariri's death contrary to truth

An official Syrian newspaper on Friday criticized the UN report on the investigation into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, saying it was "incompatible with truth."

The al-Thawra daily said the report of chief UN investigator Deltlev Mehlis was based on viewpoints of anti-Syrian Lebanese personalities but lacked testimonies on the other side.

"The report has built its conclusion on these stories, ... there is an intention to politicize the investigation and direct it in a certain way to serve the policy of piling pressures on Syria," the paper said.

It added that the report claimed insufficient cooperation from Syria but that was contradictory to what Mehlis said when he was in Syria, who said Syria cooperated well with the investigation.

The paper asserted Syria's innocence in Hariri's killing, saying Syria would study and analyze the report to make a response when it officially receives it.

The UN report released on Thursday evening linked Syria with the assassination of Hariri and called on the Syrian authorities to cooperate with investigators.

The Syrian government has vehemently denied any involvement in Hariri's death in a Feb. 14 car bombing. Hariri had called for the withdrawal of Syria's troops from Lebanon.

In recent interviews with western media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad again denied Syria's involvement in the killing.

Hariri's death led to renewed calls for the withdrawal of all Syrian troops and intelligence agents that had been in Lebanon since the early stages of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

Syria withdrew its troops from its neighbor in April this year following popular Lebanese opposition and mounting international pressure.

German prosecutor Mehlis was appointed in May by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to lead an independent inquiry team to carry out intensive investigations in both Lebanon and Syria.

Last month, Mehlis named the heads of Lebanese intelligence and security agencies as suspects in the case of Hariri's assassination.

Mehlis will brief the 15-nation UN Security Council on the investigation next Tuesday.

Source: Xinhua