Syria wants new rules for cooperation on UN probe

[stop the bleeding]

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -

Syria said on Wednesday it wanted to lay fresh ground rules for cooperation with the new chief of a U.N. team investigating the killing of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

"We want to agree on a protocol for cooperation to identify the meaning of cooperation ... and what is required before it can be said that Syria has cooperated fully and unconditionally with the international committee," Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara told politicians from parties allied with the ruling Baath party.

A U.N. Security Council resolution ordered Syria in October to cooperate fully with the inquiry or face unspecified consequences, after outgoing chief investigator Detlev Mehlis said it was not doing enough.

Damascus requested a similar agreement in November from Mehlis as a precursor to allowing his team to question six Syrian officials in connection with the February car bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others.


Read more here….

12/28/2005 Syria wants new rules for cooperation on UN probe - Reuters - news.yahoo.com

[bemildred]

1. Pigs will fly before Syria gets an unambiguous description

of what "cooperation" means. That would leave the door
open to unambiguous compliance, and let Syria get off
the hook.

[allemand]

2. We don't know Serge Brammertz yet. He may turn out to be less of a lap dog

of Bolton than Mehlis was.

Belgian Nominated to Lead Hariri Probe
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051228/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_hariri_probe_1

[bemildred]

3. Yes, I would certainly have no idea what to expect from Brammertz.

So perhaps I am being unfair there in presupposing his intentions are the same as with Mehlis.

But I would still suggest that the way this Syrian request is handled might be a good indicator of his intentions.

[allemand]

4. I agree.

The Syrian request seems quite reasonable and I don't see why it could not be met.