The Muslim News

NEW YORK, Bahrain Tribune: Saddled with debt and seeking economic ties beyond its former patron Syria, the newly elected government of Lebanon is looking for international help while the United States keeps up diplomatic pressure on Damascus to stay out of the way.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora set a meeting yesterday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and representatives of European and Muslim nations as he charts a delicate course of political independence after 29 years effectively occupied by neighbouring Syria.

After decades of civil war and political turmoil, Lebanon has one of the highest national debts in the world – measured as 165 per cent of its gross national product, or about $36 billion. Saniora hopes to win international debt relief, although most of the debt is held by Lebanese creditors, and pledges to stimulate the country’s sluggish economy.

The conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly comes as a UN investigation into a political assassination in Lebanon draws closer to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s inner circle.

Assad skipped the annual gathering of nations in New York, and Syria was the only nation among 190 attending not to address the delegates.

Under pressure, Syria allowed UN investigator Detlev Mehlis to question Assad intimates last week about the February killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The visit highlighted the vulnerability of Assad’s government as international pressure mounts over its involvement in Lebanon. The Bush administration and the new Iraqi government claim that Syria is allowing foreign terrorists and arms to flow over its border with Iraq.

Mehlis has until October 25 to complete his investigation.

Syria has denied involvement in the murder. On Sunday, it promised to cooperate with the inquiry, which began on June 17.

Mehlis has said there are no Syrian suspects, and those he wants to question will stand as witnesses.

Lebanese media have said they include Syria’s last intelligence chief in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Rustum Ghazale, two aides and Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kenaan, who was intelligence chief in Lebanon until five years ago. Mehlis’ talks at a later stage could include a meeting with Assad.

The United States has not directly blamed Syria for Hariri’s killing, but it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus to protest what US diplomats called the overall security and political situation in Lebanon.

The administration claims some credit for fostering a new democratic government in Lebanon, largely through a UN resolution a year ago. The resolution, sponsored with France, called for immediate Syrian withdrawal and for political self-determination in Lebanon.

Syria initially ignored the UN statement, but it later formed a framework to monitor troop withdrawal and free elections that brought Saniora to power.

Rice also was to meet representatives of other Arab states and with officials of the Group of Eight world industrial powers.

Meanwhile UN Secretary general Kofi Annan yesterday called on “outside actors” – a reference to Syria – to end all interference in Lebanon’s domestic affairs and announced plans to hold an international conference on Lebanon before year’s end.

“The international communtiy remains steadfast in its determination to ensure that outside actors end all interference in the domestic affairs of Lebanon and invite all parties within Lebanon to commit themselves to peaceful demcoratic reforms and regional stability,” he said at the end of the ministerial meeting on Lebanon here.

He pledged to support efforts to hold an international conference on Lebanon before the end of 2005.

n DAMASCUS: The head of the UN inquiry into former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri’s murder is expected in Syria today to interview security officials over the killing, a Syrian source close to the case said.

German prosecutor Detlev “Mehlis is coming to Damascus tomorrow to interview” Syrian officials over Hariri’s assassination in a massive Beirut bomb blast in February, he said yesterday.

His visit follows an initial trip to Damascus earlier this month during which the foreign ministry agreed on the format for his questioning of Syrian officials.

The interviews will be a key test of the Syrian regime’s readiness to cooperate following the arrest of four top allies in Lebanon.

He is expected to question Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan, a former military intelligence chief in Lebanon, his successor Rustom Ghazaleh who left along with Syrian troops in April, and two key aides in Beirut,
Mohammed Makhlouf and Jamaa Jamaa.

The four served as the main pillars of the security network which Syria set up in Lebanon to consolidate its long domination.

Syrian officials have pledged to answer all questions put to them about the February 14 bomb blast on the Beirut seafront that killed Hariri and was widely blamed on Syria and its allies in the then Lebanese government.

“Syria will cooperate with him and extend all possible facilities to the international commission of inquiry,” SANA said ahead of his initial visit. “It is in the interests of Syria to reach the truth on the crime.” – Agencies

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