Syria Behind Hariri's Murder: Assad's Brother Involved

[visionary]

Didn't see this posted anywhere so....

U.N. probe links Syria to Hariri killing

Witnesses 'tried to mislead the investigation'

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. investigators have found "converging evidence" of Lebanese and Syrian involvement in the February killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a released report has concluded.

Shortly after the United Nations called on Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon, five senior officials -- including the brother of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad -- allegedly plotted to assassinate Hariri, a key mover in getting the U.N. resolution passed, according to the U.N. report.

In an October 12 interview with CNN, the Syrian president denied reports -- recounted in Thursday's document -- that he had threatened Hariri. Al-Assad had demanded that the former premier support an extension of the term of Lebanon's president, Emile Lahoud, a staunch Syrian ally.

The president told CNN that any Syrian involved in the plot "would be considered as a traitor and most severely punished."

"It is treason," he said.

On Friday, Lahoud denied a claim in the report that he received a mobile phone call from a suspect named in the report minutes before the bomb blast that killed Hariri.

Lahoud's office, in a statement, called the claim "baseless" and said it is "part of the continuing campaigns that target the presidency and the president himself and the national responsibilities which he holds and will continue to hold during this delicate time in Lebanon's history."

The assassination sparked a wave of protests in Beirut that helped lead to Syria's announced withdrawal from the country in April.

Copy of report

CNN was able to obtain a copy of the report given Thursday to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Security Council members, which lists the names of the men accused of planning the February 14, 2005, bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people.

The names were redacted in copies of the report released for general distribution.

In addition to Maher Assad, the Syrian president's brother, those investigating Hariri's death accused Assef Shawkat, the president's brother-in-law; Jamil al-Sayyed, head of Lebanese intelligence; Hassan Khalil, former head of Syrian intelligence; and Bahjat Suleyman, a personal friend of the Syrian president, as participating in planning the assassination.

A witness, who is Syrian but lives in Lebanon, and who claims to have worked for Syrian intelligence services in Lebanon, told investigators that about two weeks before Security Council Resolution 1559 was passed, the officials decided to assassinate Hariri.

"He claimed that a senior Lebanese security official (al-Sayyed) went several times to Syria to plan the crime," the report says, and one of the meetings was at the Presidential Palace.

"At the beginning of January 2005, one of the high-ranked officers told the witness that Rafik Hariri was a big problem to Syria. Approximately a month later, the officer told the witness that there soon would be an 'earthquake' that would rewrite the history of Lebanon," the report says.

Resolution 1559 called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, extending Lebanese government control over its territory, and free and fair elections without foreign interference. It also called on Lebanon to disband guerrilla groups.

In Washington, a State Department official told CNN the United States is "analyzing the report and talking about next steps with other members of the Security Council."

The official said the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, is meeting with the coordinator of the report, German prosecutor Detleve Mehlis, Friday morning.

Bolton will also meet with representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council to discuss options.

"The bottom line is, the council asked for this investigation and this is a clear judgment what went on," a U.S. official said. "We expect an appropriately serious council response."

Mehlis' investigative report states that "many leads point directly towards Syrian security officials as being involved with the assassination," and it calls on Damascus "to clarify a considerable part of the unresolved questions."

Syrian denial

Syrian officials have denied any involvement in the assassination. But given Syrian domination of its allied government in Lebanon, "it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge," Mehlis concluded in the report delivered to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Mehlis' report found that Syrian authorities cooperated "to a limited degree" with the investigation, but several witnesses "tried to mislead the investigation by giving false or inaccurate statements."

"Obviously this shows a very serious and troubling connection between senior officials in Lebanon and Syria. While this isn't definite proof, the cited lack of cooperation by Syria underscores the importance of ensuring we do everything we can to ensure Syria complies with 1559 and provides backing to us to allow us to do that," the U.S. official said.

The report said the assassination came at a time of "extreme political polarization and tension."

"Accusations and counter accusations targeting mainly Mr. Hariri over the period preceding his assassination corroborate the commission's conclusion that the likely motive of the assassination was political," it said.

"However, since the crime was not the work of individuals but rather of a sophisticated group, it very much seems that fraud, corruption, and money laundering could also have been motives for individuals to participate in the operation."

Hariri served as Lebanon's prime minister five times, and political sources close to the former leader said he was planning to stage a political comeback by publicly supporting the growing opposition to Syria's role in Lebanon.

Syrian troops entered Lebanon in 1976, in the early days of that country's 15-year civil war. They remained for nearly 30 years, until pressure from Lebanese protests and the international community following Hariri's killing forced Damascus to pull its troops out in April.

The investigation already has led to the arrests and indictments of four pro-Syrian Lebanese security chiefs allegedly linked to the assassination. All four were interviewed by U.N. investigators during the probe, with their lawyers present, and denied any involvement, the report states.

The indictments were issued for Brig. Gen. Jameel al-Sayyed, former director of the Lebanese police; Gen. Ali al-Hajj, former former head of the country's internal security forces; Gen. Raymond Azar, former head of military intelligence; and Gen. Mustapha Hamdan, Commander of the Republican Guard Brigade.

In addition, Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan was reported to have committed suicide the same day of al-Assad's denial -- just hours after calling a Lebanese radio station to challenge allegations that he was involved in Hariri's killing. He was one of several senior officials U.N. investigators questioned in August.

Investigation 'not complete'

The attack took several months to prepare and required detailed monitoring of Hariri's movements, and "could not have been taken without the approval of top-ranked Syrian security officials," the report found. In addition, the report states, it could not have been carried out "without the collusion of their counterparts in the Lebanese security services."

The U.N. probe concluded that the bomb used to kill Hariri was detonated above ground and used at least 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of military explosives. But investigators have not yet determined how the bomb was detonated.

The convoy Hariri traveled in used jamming devices to prevent bombs from being detonated by remote control, so a suicide bomber may have set off the explosion. But investigators said further investigation was needed to determine how the bomb was set off.

The report recommended that Lebanese authorities pick up the investigation from this point, with assistance from the international community.

During the four-month investigation, the report said, investigators interviewed more than 400 people and reviewed 60 000 documents.

"Yet, the investigation is not complete," the report said.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/21/lebanon.hariri/index.html

[visionary]

More news...this is getting very interesting.

Rice: Syria must be held accountable

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she was deeply troubled by a U.N. report implicating Syria in the death of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. She said the international community must find a way to hold Syrian authorities accountable.

Rice spoke to reporters in Birmingham, Alabama, after the release of a report by U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis that established a clear link between Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies to the assassination.

In Washington, another top State Department official said Hariri was the victim of a "political crime" that could not have been carried out without the involvement of senior Syrian and Lebanese intelligence officials. (Full story)

Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch said in Washington said "we would like to see those responsible for this crime and others in Lebanon brought to justice."

The United Nations' exhaustive report linked the brother and brother-in-law of Syria's president to the February 14 car bomb that killed Hariri and 20 others, and said Lebanese intelligence officials helped organize it.

The report stopped short of fingering Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle. But it accused the regime of failing to cooperate in the inquiry. The report also alleged Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa lied in a letter to the investigating commission.

Rice declined to discuss next steps beyond saying that some kind of international mechanism must be established to ensure that Syria is held accountable.

She said there is strong support among U.N. members for an extension of Mehlis' mandate, perhaps until December 15.

"Accountability is going to be very important for the international community," she said.

Welch, speaking at the Foreign Press Center, said the Bush administration had begun discussions at the United Nations and with Arab and other governments on how to act on the report.

Welch said some Arab governments share the administration's concern about Syria's "destabilizing" actions in Lebanon, but he declined to identify with whom the United States was finding initial support.

Welch, who said he had read the report, said it contained "amazing evidence."

"The report concludes there is probable cause to believe the (assassination) decision could not have been taken without the collusion of top Syrian and Lebanese intelligence officials," Welch said.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/21/us.syria.ap/index.html

[chomerics]

Yea, pretty troubling to say the least. When he was killed in the blast, there were initially reports about Syria and Lebanon as being responsible.

Kind of makes you re-evaluate the death of Syrian's Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan. He supposedly killed himself, but this coming out al least may open up some people's eyes.

[Predicto]

Why am I not in the least surprised?

[visionary]

"BREAKING NEWS (from www.CNN.com)

"President Bush calls for United Nations to convene after "deeply disturbing" report implicates Syrian officials in assassination."

(AP) -- President George W. Bush on Friday called on the United Nations to convene a session as soon as possible to deal with a U.N. investigative report implicating Syrian officials in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement," Bush said after helping dedicate a new pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California.

The U.N. investigative report, which Bush called "deeply disturbing," established a link between high-ranking Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in Hariri's murder Feb. 14 in Beirut."

[Sarge]

I can't believe you all are falling for this obvious Bush plot.

Don't you know that CIA agents, backed by the Mossad, dressed up like Syrians to carry this out?

Then, they take this "disturbing" report from the UN, which is completely pro-Bush organization, to give the evil neo-con cabal lead by Yenehc and the illiteratii, a reason to whack Syria, upstanding country that they are.

When are you all gonna quit falling for this stuff?

Signed

Chomerics

[visionary]

Funny, Sarge actually I was expecting someone to post that already. (doesn't loo like anyone pasted much about it so far)

By the way, who ever won that election between the two of you anyway?

LOL

[visionary]

Funny, Sarge actually I was expecting someone to post that already. (doesn't look like anyone posted much about it so far)

By the way, who ever won that election between the two of you anyway?

LOL

[chomerics]

Funny, Sarge actually I was expecting someone to post that already. (doesn't look like anyone posted much about it so far)

By the way, who ever won that election between the two of you anyway?

LOL

I think sarge won by force. He held the election open until he had more votes, then closed the doors real quick :laugh:

[Johnny Punani2]

Syria is run by an ultra-powerful group of the five richest families in the world, known as "The Pentavirate" who control everything, including the newspapers...the Queen, the Vatican, the Gettys, the Rothschilds and Colonel Sanders, before he went tits up...oh I hated the Colonel with his wee beady eyes and that smug look "Oooooh, you're gonna buy my chicken, ooooooooohhhhhhh...."

[Sarge]

Syria is run by an ultra-powerful group of the five richest families in the world, known as "The Pentavirate" who control everything, including the newspapers...the Queen, the Vatican, the Gettys, the Rothschilds and Colonel Sanders, before he went tits up...oh I hated the Colonel with his wee beady eyes and that smug look "Oooooh, you're gonna buy my chicken, ooooooooohhhhhhh...."

How many times do I have to tell you that the Col's eye on a bucket of KFC chicken is of the "All seeing" variety?

[visionary]

Lebanese arrest man implicated in Hariri probe

Slain PM’s son issues new call for prosecution of father’s killers

The Associated Press

Updated: 5:46 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2005

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese authorities arrested a man who a U.N. probe said had called President Emile Lahoud shortly before the murder of the country’s former prime minister, a security source said on Saturday.

Security forces detained Mahmoud Abdel-Al early on Saturday based on a warrant issued by Lebanon’s Prosecutor General Saeed Meerza, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The U.N. report into the Feb. 14 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, presented to the Security Council on Thursday, said Abdel-Al “made a call minutes before the blast” to Lahoud’s mobile phone.

Lahoud’s spokesman has strongly denied that the president had been in contact with Abdel-Al.

The U.N. report also cited Abdel-Al’s brother, Ahmad Abdel-Al, a member of the pro-Syrian Islamic militant Ahbash group, as a key figure in the killing plot.

The probe, led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, has named senior Syrian security officials, including the brother and brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad, and their Lebanese allies, as suspects in the murder that shocked Lebanon.

Hariri’s son calls for tribunal

The son and political heir of Hariri on Saturday called for an international tribunal to try his father’s killers.

Saad Hariri, a Lebanese legislator, made the appeal two days after chief investigator Detlev Mehlis handed his report on Hariri’s assassination to the U.N. Security Council.

Saad Hariri praised the U.N. investigation, which said there was a clear link between Syrian and Lebanese intelligence officials in the bombing.

“The hour of truth has come. ... The blood of the martyr Rafik Hariri and his colleagues in the march toward freedom, dignity, sovereignty will not have been shed in vain,” he said in a televised speech from his home in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.

“The culprits who planned this terrorist crime and participated in executing and covering it up will face, God willing, the punishment they deserve,” he added.

Syrian official criticizes report

Syrian Foreign Ministry adviser Riyad Dawoodi, meanwhile, reiterated his country’s criticism of the U.N. report, saying it was false, politicized and aimed at targeting Damascus rather than uncovering the truth.

He said Mehlis also relied on witnesses who lacked credibility, including an alleged former Syrian intelligence officer, Zuhair Mohammed Al-Siddiq, who was arrested last week in Paris after it appeared he gave false testimony to the U.N. team.

“All that was contained in the report is based on presumptions and allegations,” Dawoodi said. “There’s no proof.”

On Friday, President Bush called on the U.N. to deal quickly and seriously with the report, which he said “strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement.”

The U.S. and France were readying U.N. Security Council resolutions critical of Syria. The Security Council was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the report.

Russia advises ‘thorough study’

But Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin on Saturday warned against responding too quickly to the report, saying it would require “thorough study and analysis.” Syria has long been allied with Russia.

“We are convinced that the settlement of this problem should in no way lead to the emergence of a new hotbed of tension and further destabilization in the Middle East,” Kamynin said in a statement posted on the ministry’s Web site.

Dawoodi said Damascus would continue to cooperate with the investigation but stopped short of saying Syria would allow witnesses to be questioned by Mehlis abroad.

“We’ll see what is the extent of this cooperation,” he said.

Rafik Hariri’s assassination ignited mass anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon coupled with intense international pressure that forced Syria to withdraw thousands of troops from Lebanon and end nearly three decades of military domination of its neighbor.

Many Lebanese blamed the killing on Syria and pro-Syrian Lebanese security chiefs. Syria and its Lebanese allies denied any involvement. Four Lebanese generals who ran the security services at the time Hariri was killed have been jailed for alleged involvement in the murder.

After the April withdrawal, anti-Syrian groups led by Saad Hariri were swept to power in parliamentary elections and a new government, largely independent of Syria, took power over the summer.

Saad Hariri and several other noted Lebanese politicians are temporarily living abroad because they say they fear violence at home. Since Hariri’s assassination, there has been a number of mysterious bombings in Lebanon targeting anti-Syrian figures.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9767373/

[visionary]

Syria disputes U.N. Hariri report

(CNN) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry adviser on Saturday said his country was an easy target for U.N. investigators examining who was behind the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Speaking at a news conference Saturday to refute a U.N. report on Hariri's killing, Riyad Dawoodi said just because Syria had a strong military presence in Lebanon did not mean it was involved in the former prime minister's assassination.

"There's a presumption taken by the (U.N.) commission that the very presence of Syrian troops and the Syrian security organs in Lebanon is something which should imply so and so and so," said Dawoodi, speaking in English.

"You cannot put any weight on the idea (that) because you are present in Lebanon, everything happening in Lebanon ... should be done according to your knowledge and you know about it," Dawoodi said.

"The report has a conclusion that this operation, the assassination of late Prime Minister Hariri, cannot be done without a means, a very sophisticated means which belongs to a highly-equipped security organ. And you just look around you, who is very very well equipped?" Dawoodi said.

The U.N. report concluded there was "converging evidence" of Lebanese and Syrian involvement in Hariri's February 14 assassination. (Full story)

The report's author, German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, would not say if the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was cooperative during the investigation, telling a Friday news conference: "That's something we should leave for later."

Dawoodi repeated Syrian denials of involvement in Hariri's killing and said the report's findings were politicized and aimed at targeting Syria rather than finding the truth.

"All that was contained in the report is based on presumptions and allegations ... . There's no proof," he said.

"The (U.N.) committee until now has not provided any worthy evidence ... but rather has opened the door to debate on points it still is trying to prove," he said. "This report could not be used in court."

Hariri's assassination sparked a wave of protests in Beirut that helped lead to Syria's announced withdrawal from the country in April.

Saad Hariri -- Rafik Hariri's son and a Lebanese parliament member -- on Saturday said he agreed with many of the U.N. report's findings and called for an international court to exact justice on the assassins. (Full story)

Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/22/hariri.syria/index.html