Syrian at U.N. Calls Murdered Writer a Dog
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UNITED NATIONS – Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fayssal Mekdad, likened slain Lebanese legislator Gibran Tueni to a dog yesterday and indicated that Israel leads American policy on his country. American and French officials, meanwhile, vowed support for Lebanon, but shied away from pushing for sanctions against Syria in the aftermath of yet another damaging report on that country’s role in Lebanon.
America’s U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, said he would ensure that international pressure on Syria is “unrelenting.” When asked why he did not refer specifically to sanctions, which the U.N. Security Council has decided to employ against individuals involved in the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, he said only, “The council’s word is at stake now.” Mr. Bolton’s words seemed designed to challenge some in the 15-member body who have advocated a softer line on Syria.
Mr. Mekdad blamed Israel for his country’s increased isolation and dismissed the Lebanese Cabinet’s request to expand the Hariri investigation to probe six other alleged political assassinations. The request came after Monday’s bombing in Beirut that left four people dead, including Tueni, an anti-Syrian legislator and journalist. It was endorsed last night in a French proposal for a Security Council resolution.
“So now every time that a dog dies in Beirut there will be an international investigation?” Mr. Mekdad said to an Arab diplomat during a closed-door council session, according to a diplomat who heard the conversation but asked to remain anonymous.
Earlier, speaking in Arabic, Mr. Mekdad told reporters that his country wanted to have better relations with America, but “based on what Bolton said today, it doesn’t seem that the other side wants to have such relations. They keep taking positions that are pro-Israel, and the other side has to pay for that.”
France and America vowed yesterday to act, as the French foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, said, “at the side of the Lebanese people.” Mr. Douste-Blazi backed the Lebanese Cabinet request, which was made officially yesterday in a letter by Prime Minister Siniora to Secretary-General Annan.
“France is ready to back any demand from the Lebanese government for an inquiry into the killing of anti-Syrian deputy and journalist Gibran Tueni,” Mr. Douste-Blazi said at a press conference. In Washington, Secretary of State Rice said, “The United States will remain steadfast in its support of the Lebanese people, and the international community should do so as well.”
The Security Council met last night to hear the latest report by the German head of the U.N. investigation into the Hariri assassination, Detlev Mehlis. Mr. Mehlis defended his findings against Syria, including the reliability of two witnesses whose testimony has since been questioned. He also said that he would continue to lead the investigation until a replacement is named by Mr. Annan.
The investigation into the Hariri assassination still has some time to go, Mr. Mehlis added. “I don’t think [it would take] two years,” he told The New York Sun. Asked for his estimate of the timeframe for completion of the investigation, he said, “Predictions are hard to make, but more months” will be needed.
Although Mr. Mehlis said months ago that he intended to quit after December 15, Mr. Annan said yesterday that a candidate to replace him might not be found immediately. “I’m trying to move as quickly as I can to find a replacement,” Mr. Annan told reporters, adding, “I hope, if all goes well, that I should be able to name someone in the next week or two.”
According to diplomats, there are four European candidates on the short list to replace Mr. Mehlis, including at least one Belgian magistrate and a Romanian general, Dan Voinea, who prosecuted a Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu.
Asked about Lebanon’s request to expand the mandate of the investigation beyond the Hariri murder, Mr. Mehlis said yesterday, “Right now, we have the capacity to deal with the assassination of the 14th of February” only.
“We are going to support” the broadening of the investigation, Mr. Bolton said earlier. “We have been cooperating with a number of member governments in the council including France, of course, and we hope for broad support for that.”
A French proposal called on the council to decide whether to “expand the Commission’s mandate to include investigations on the terrorist attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since 1 October 2004 at the discretion of the Commission.” Even that qualified support for the Lebanese position might not be agreed on by the council’s 15 members before Thursday’s deadline.
The proposed resolution, which called for extending the mandate of the Hariri investigation for six more months, also did not go beyond saying that the council “acknowledges” another request by the Lebanese government to set up international tribunals to try suspects in the Hariri assasination.