Top Syrian officials named in report on Hariri killing

[allemand]

THE United Nations will today circulate a damning report into the assassination of Rafik Hariri, which is expected to accuse senior figures in the Syrian regime of complicity in the murder of the Lebanese politician. (...)

If, as expected, Damascus and its allies in Lebanon are implicated in the murders, it could have profound ramifications for the region. President al-Assad of Syria will be isolated and his Lebanese ally President Lahoud could be forced from office. (...)

Several Syrian officials, including at least one relative of Mr al-Assad, are thought to be named in the report. If Damascus refuses to co-operate it could face sanctions and be- come an international pariah.

Before the report is circulated to members of the UN Security Council today, Mr al-Assad insisted that his country had nothing to do with the assassination. (...) He said that far from benefiting from the murder, Syria had been damaged by its impact.

More:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-1835676,00.html

This is the one thing I don't understand: if the Syrian government really was behind this assassination, what was Bashar al-Asad's motive? One day after the killing of Hariri he agreed to a complete withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, while the supposed motive of the bombing was securing Syria's position in Lebanon. Are we to believe that he is that stupid?

[Kagemusha]

1. Yes, because it makes overthrowing him easier.

The reality is more like he took over as head of an entrenched power structure commanded by his father and has only limited command of it in practice, and that power structure decided on its own to take care of this without bothering to get Assad's specific approval. Obviously the Israelis and Sec. State Rice don't really care: if he didn't know, he should have and should be accountable for it because, hey, he's in the way. The truth is secondary to national interests here.

[fshrink]

8. If he was in the way, he would be dead by now.

This stinks a manipulation aimed at destabilizing Syria. This has been worked on at different level for a long time. Assad has been and still is pushed around in the hope that he would do the mistake which would designate Syria as the next bad guy. His only tactical chance is to avoid provocation. Which he does quite well (e.g. Hezbollah very quiet for several years). This strategic objective is on the PNAC agenda. This is also the only roadblock left for a domination of Israel in a destabilized region. This said, Assad is not an angel (or the muslim equivalent) either. His ministry of defense, for example, is related to Akkram Ojeh, the well-known weapon dealer of the 60s, 70s and 80s, who was assassinated a few years back.

[TomClash]

2. False Flag nt

[louis-t]

3. My question is this:

How much influence did Bolton have on this report????

[cal04]

4. UN Hariri report points to Syria

A UN inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri says many leads point to the direct involvement of Syrian officials.

UN investigators said they had also found evidence of Lebanese collusion in Mr Hariri's death last February.

The report, prepared at the request of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, says the car bombing was carried out by a group with extensive organisation.

Many in Lebanon blamed Syria for the killing, a claim denied by Damascus.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4362698.stm
is this how he gets to keep his job?)

In December 2004, United States Republican Senator Norm Coleman called for Annan's resignation after reports surfaced that his son received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna Inspection SA that won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil for Food program.

Outside the United States, Annan has few opponents; he has the unanimous support of the UN Security Council.

[OKNancy]

5. kick

:kick:

[StrafingMoose]

6. Perhaps the other way around ?

His 'mukhabarat' are maybe trying to overthrow him (Assad) ?

[Dancing_Dave]

7. The Bush Gang will use this pretext to invade Syria

And then the shit will really hit the fan.

[cantstandbush]

9. I believe this assassination was an operation by the US and Israel

they are the only ones to benefit from it. Not Syria.

[bemildred]

10. Mehlis seems to lack evidence.

I've read several stories covering this now, and
most of the things cited are in the nature of an
assertion that "well, they must have done it."