Assad: Uncovering Hariri assassins would be very beneficial for Syria

Source: Nowlebanon.com, 4-5-2009

Syrian President Bashar Assad said he was eager to know the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's (STL) verdict on the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Assad emphasized during an interview with French Channel 3 that "uncovering the identity of those responsible for the crime would be very beneficial for Syria" and admitted that several parties suspected its involvement in the assassination. He said once a verdict is reached, "we will be very happy and relieved."

The president called on Washington to have direct or indirect dialogue with both Hizbullah and Hamas to reach a lasting peace in the Middle East, adding that his country was willing to mediate such negotiations between the participating parties.

"If the US needs our help, we are ready to give it," the Syrian president said, stressing that his country had problems with former US President George Bush.

Assad also said that Syria wanted to engage in dialogue with the US, something which he said became evident after US President Barack Obama took office. Assad welcomed Obama's initiative to foster dialogue between the two states.

The Syrian president went on to say that "when you want to reach a solution, you cannot say this is good or bad, and this is democratic" or not, emphasizing that this is not how one deals with politics.

"Politics dictates any party to function according to real givens, where certain parties would take a positive or negative stand," Assad said and called on Washington to foster dialogue with Iran and Islamist movements. "Hamas has considerable influence, and you cannot ignore it. You cannot reach peace as long as Hamas" and Hizbullah are "excluded from the peace process."