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Syria-Lebanon-Iran | ||||
U.N. Weighs Next Move on Syria | ||||
2005-12-15 | ||||
UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council began considering ways to keep pressure on Syria to cooperate with a U.N. investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri after hearing Tuesday that Damascus had burned documents and intimidated witnesses. Several diplomats said the council was not ready to consider sanctions or call for the arrest of suspects from the Syrian president's inner circle after closely questioning the chief investigator, German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis. Instead, the council is mulling a new draft resolution reflecting two requests from the Lebanese government: to widen the inquiry into Hariri's death to include other political killings, and to create an international tribunal that would try suspects in the Hariri assassination.
The Syrian government did not grant the interviews until a week before the deadline, causing Mehlis to lament a pattern of "reluctance and procrastination." He urged Damascus to be "more forthcoming" and to cooperate fully and unconditionally with the inquiry. "At this rate, the investigation might take another year or two," he told the U.N. Security Council. A council resolution threatens sanctions if Syria does not comply quickly and completely.
France introduced a draft resolution Tuesday evening seeking an extension of the investigation beyond its six-month mandate, which expires Thursday. It also proposes establishing an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination and expanding the investigation to include political killings in Lebanon since October 2004, at the discretion of the commission. Since then, four prominent Lebanese critics of Syria have been killed by car bombs, including newspaper publisher and politician Gibran Tueni on Monday.
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Posted by:Steve White |
#6 The tall puppets come next. |
Posted by: Clath Glinenter4024 2005-12-15 18:54 |
#5 To paraphrase A. J. Rimmer: "Here's my proposal: Let's get tough. The time for talking is over. Call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit it hard and hit it fast with a major -- and I mean >major< -- leaflet campaign, and while it's reeling from that, we'd follow up with a drive, a car boot sale, some street theatre and possibly even some benefit concerts. OK? Now, if that's not enough, I'm sorry, it's time for the T-shirts and if that's not enough, well, I don't know what will be." |
Posted by: bruce 2005-12-15 18:38 |
#4 And a strongly worded letter! |
Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-12-15 13:52 |
#3 How's about a new Resoulution.... yeah, that's it!!!! |
Posted by: macofromoc 2005-12-15 11:14 |
#2 I'm sure their have a conference to discuss having a luncheon about having another conference to discuss the wording of the not-too-strongly worded letter any day now. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-12-15 00:51 |
#1 U.N. Weighs Next Move on Syria How exactly does one weigh nothing? |
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-15 00:47 |