U.N. seeks interview with Assad

[Eugene]

U.N. seeks interview with Assad

Panel want to discuss Hariri killing with Syrian president

Monday, January 2, 2006 Posted: 0723 GMT (1523 HKT)

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- The U.N. commission investigating the assassination of a former Lebanese
leader has asked to interview Syrian President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa,
the commission's spokesperson said Monday.

"The commission will also seek to interview (former Syrian Vice-President) Abdul-Halim Khaddam as
soon as possible," the spokesperson said, referring to the man who alleged in TV interview broadcast
Friday that Assad had threatened former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri several months before
he was assassinated in a February 14 truck bombing.

The commission, whose mandate was recently renewed the U.N. Security Council for another six months,
has reported that several people whom Hariri spoke to after he met Assad in August 2004 said the
Syrian leader had threatened the Lebanese prime minister over the issue of Syrian plans to extend
the term of Lebanon's president.

<snip>

Full article: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/02/lebanon.syria.unprobe.ap

[allemand]

1. BTW, Bolton knew exactly that this was coming:

Bolton interview

In an interview with the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat published on Thursday, Bolton said there had been no substantial change in Syria's attitude towards the commission.

He said Syria must improve its cooperation otherwise "the Security Council will be ready at the appropriate time to take other measures".

"I think this is just a matter of time," Bolton added. He said he expected the Security Council to discuss Syria early in 2006.

Thursday 29 December 2005
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/59E5C8ED-1D04-4A60-A30F-E051820854D6.htm

I found the remark surprising because the new UN investigator Serge Brammertz will begin his work only in mid-January, but Bolton certainly knew about the Khaddam interview in advance (perhaps he was even involved in the planning).

[bemildred]

2. Not surprising to me.

New actors, same old script.

[allemand]

3. And only debka notices that this is the first time that the UN summons a

sitting head of state:

"This is the first time in UN annals that an inquiry commission established by the world body demands to quiz an incumbent head of state on the murder of an ex-prime minister of another nation."

So do we have to expect Bush and Cheney to be questioned soon by an international commission investigating war crimes?

:sarcasm:

[allemand]

4. Assad 'will not meet with UN Hariri commission'

Beirut/Damascus - Syrian President Bashar Assad will not respond to a request to meet with the United Nations commission into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a high-ranking Syrian official said Monday.

Ahmed Haj Ali, an official with Syria's ruling Baath party and advisor to the country's Information Ministry, told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa that no meeting with Assad would take place that implied a 'premediated intention' by the Syrian leader in regard to the Hariri killing.

'There is no law that could respond to such request as President Assad is immune according to international law,' Haj Ali said, adding that there would be new political and diplomatic activity from Syria to deal with the request.

Nasra Hassan, spokeswoman for the U.N. investigative team confirmed Monday that the U.N. investigators were seeking to meet with Assad, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Sharaa and former Vice President Abdel Halim Khadam,

More:
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1072816.php/Assad_will_not_meet_with_UN_Hariri_commission

Caveat: I've no idea how reliable this source is.