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Syrian Writer Says UN Resolution Step Towards Finding Truth About Hariri Killing

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 November 2005, 15:01 CST

Text of interview with Fayiz Sarah, a Syrian opposition writer, in Damascus, by Al-Jazeera presenter Abd-al-Samad Nasir in the Doha studios, broadcast live by Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 1 November

[Nasir] Mr Fayiz Sarah, a Syrian opposition writer, joins us from Damascus. Mr Sarah, what is the opinion of the Syrian opposition inside Syria about the latest developments and the international resolution [Security Council Resolution 1636]?

[Sarah] The international resolution is undoubtedly a step towards closing this file - the file of the assassination of Al- Hariri. The whole world is working to close this file through revealing the truth and saying what happened.

Syria has announced that it accepts the international resolution and will cooperate in this regard despite all the objections the resolution faced at its various stages [of drafting].

[Nasir] Sorry for interrupting - you say it is a step towards closing the file. In what way do you think this will happen?

[Sarah] I think that the truth must be revealed and killing must stop. There should also be an end to the state of accusation or suspicion, whether it is targeting the Syrians or others. The truth must be revealed and suspicions removed. If the truth is revealed, this will be the end and will take Syria again to another position, whether Syrians are proved to be involved or whether the Syrians are proved to be innocent of Al-Hariri's blood.

[Nasir] But the Mehlis report mentioned names of people who may have a connection with or are themselves part of the Syrian regime.

[Sarah] Yes, sir. The report noted that the names that appeared in the copy leaked by Britain are not names of officials. Regardless of the two copies - the British copy or the officially adopted one - there is talk about the presence of suspects. These suspects must be interrogated. This is what President Al-Asad and the Syrians in general say. All suspects must be interrogated, so the Syrian official judicial committee has been formed to follow up on the questioning of those mentioned in the report. In my estimation, or even in the Syrian official estimation, this includes the names mentioned in the report.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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