|
Russia ‘Plays Games' in U.N. Hariri Probe
|
 |
http://www.nysun.com/article/46363
Russia ‘Plays Games' in U.N. Hariri Probe
By BENNY AVNI
January 10, 2007
UNITED NATIONS — Russia did Syria's bidding yesterday when it demanded that the Security Council name and shame countries that did not fully cooperate with a U.N. investigation into the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri.
The Russian maneuver especially angered France, suspected by some council members of being one of 10 countries that have not adequately responded to "overdue" requests for cooperation, according to a December report by the Belgian U.N. investigator, Serge Brammertz.
The U.N. team is looking into the February 14, 2005, killing of Hariri, which — according to Mr. Brammertz's predecessor, the German investigator Detlev Mehlis — could be traced to officials in Damascus.
Syria was cited in previous Security Council resolutions for lack of cooperation with the investigation, but last month, Mr. Brammertz reported that Damascus was "providing information and facilitating interviews" with his commission. Now, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said, it was time to highlight noncooperation by others.
"On Syria, there have been all sorts of resolutions," Mr. Churkin told reporters after a closed-door council session described as "contentious" by one participant. "If we focus so hard on one country, why should we disregard completely or even not want to know what those [other] countries are?"
In his latest report, Mr. Brammertz wrote that the investigation has reached a "critical stage" and noted that "responses to 22 requests sent to 10 separate member states are overdue." He added that "lack of responsiveness by certain States has serious consequences in terms of delay for the work of the commission."
Nevertheless, Mr. Brammertz did not name the 10 countries and emphasized that his commission "trusts that it will enjoy full and prompt cooperation from all States during the next reporting period."
Mr. Churkin said that although Mr. Brammertz did not demand it, the council must help him by pressuring the countries in question, and even naming them publicly. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, chimed in, saying that Russia's initiative "goes toward knowing exactly and precisely those who cooperate and those who are not."
A French diplomat, who said he could not speak on the record for protocol reasons, said the decision on whether to name the noncooperating countries should be left to Mr. Brammertz. "Let's not try to play political games," he said.
_________________
"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't." -General George S. Patton
Psalm 82-8: Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You inherit all the nations.
