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Books on Syria
REPUBLICAN REFERENCE
Area (sq.km)
185,180
Population
17,585,540
Capital
Damascus
Currency
Syrian pound (SYP)
President
Bashir al-Asad
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Update No: 025 - (01/12/05)
In November, there was less attention to Syria's
dealings with the UN mandated Mehlis commission, investigating the murder of
former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, suggesting the issue has released
some of the tension that had built up over the previous months. At one point it
seemed that an American attack was inevitable. However, and perhaps to Syria's
advantage, the United States had to deal with a major public relations fiasco
after an Italian news team presented a well documented video report on the use
of white phosphorous by US forces in the battle for Fallujah of February 2004.
Meanwhile, the Mehlis investigation continued and Syria was cooperative, as it
continued to receive foreign delegations of friendly countries such as Russia
and Algeria, which urged it to cooperate with the Commission. Syria agreed to
allow intelligence officers sought for questioning by the UN commission led by
German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis to go Vienna for questioning in late November.
Just last week, Damascus said it banned the wanted Syrian nationals named in an
interim report released last month on the probe of the UN commission from
travel. Beirut newspaper suggest those wanted for questioning include Bahjat
Suleiman, former domestic intelligence chief, the former head of military
intelligence in Lebanon, Rustom Ghazaleh, and his deputy Jameh Jameh. The five
agents could even include General Assef Shawkat, head of military intelligence
and President Bashar al-Asad's brother-in-law. Nevertheless, while offering
cooperation, Syrian officials also found that the Syrian man held to be a
crucial witness for UN investigators claims to have given evidence against his
government under duress.
Hussam Taher Hussam, self-professed former Syrian intelligence agent, said in a
televised interview in Syria that he made up the information he gave to the
Mehlis commission, and that it also made up a large part of an interim report
issued last month by the UN investigator. Hussam said that Lebanese officials
tortured him and offered bribes to persuade him to present false testimony
against Syria to a UN commission investigating the assassination of Rafiq Hariri.
He also said that he was held in Lebanon by supporters of Saad Hariri, son of
Rafiq, and subjected to torture and drug injections to force him to testify,
even as Saad offered him US$1.3 million to lie about senior Syrian officials.
Hussam did not specify whether or not he took the money, but shed light on how
Syrian officials were implicated in the plot. He said that Saad Hariri concocted
a story about a truck used in the assassination, and that this truck was based
in a Syrian military camp. Hussam also said that he was to tell the UN
investigators, as part of the alleged plot, that Maher Asad, younger brother of
Syrian President Bashar Asad, as well as Asef Shawkat, the very same, who is
believed to be among the witnesses that went to Vienna to face the Mehlis
commission. Hussam, could well be the unidentified witness in the interim report
that has caused a furor over Syria last October, and who supposedly came forth
voluntarily. The UN International Independent Investigation Committee (UNIIC)
confirmed Hussam was a witness and said he had signed a statement on Sept. 1
that said he was testifying voluntarily and had not been forced, threatened or
given incentives.
The spokesperson for the Syrian inquiry into Hariri's murder, Ibrahim Daraji,
said during a press conference on November 28 that if Hussam is the unidentified
key witness quoted in the UN commission's interim report, then the United
Nations' case "has completely collapsed." Saad Hariri did not
personally respond to the allegations, but they indicate that Syria has reason
to believe that Mehlis' interim report, which was well received by Beirut (and
Washington), is politicized and unfounded. This suggestion is corroborated by
the fact that another Syrian, Mohammed Zuhair Siddiq, also testified to
commission but was later discredited by Syria, because he is a convicted
criminal in Lebanon, and was presented as a key witness for the Mehlis report.
Saad Hariri's office issued a statement denying that there had ever been any
contact between Hussam and Hariri or any of his associates. Elie Fawaz, a
Lebanese political analyst, said that Hussam's Syrian TV appearance was widely
mocked in Lebanon as an attempt by President Asad and his allies to discredit
the investigation. However, Hussam claims to have been interviewed by the
Commission and Detlev Mehlis himself, will have to consider the possibility that
Hussam's televised 'confession' has some truth in it. For the time being, the UN
team insisted that Mr Hussam had spoken freely and was not offered money.
According to foreign observers in Syria, Hussam's story is very popular in Syria
and people believe it. As for Syrian officials, Ibrahim Darraji, who is running
Syria's own investigation into the Hariri murder, said the claims meant the
Mehlis report had now "collapsed".
While it is too early to suggest that the Mehlis report has collapsed, the
televised allegations of surprise witness Hussam and the popular - and favorable
from the Syrian government 's point of view - reaction it has enjoyed among the
Syrian population makes it more difficult to singularly pursue Damascus for the
Hariri murder of last February 14. The UN itself may want to investigate the
matter further and place stricter controls on the credibility of witnesses.
Syria was blamed for the murder implicitly by interested parties immediately
after the event, and Mehlis is under indirect pressure to implicate Syria in one
way or another. Hussam, should he turn out to have lied during his televised
appearance in Syria, could force a delay in the delivery of the Mehlis report
(due December 15) while raising further doubts about its credibility. The
troubles currently faced by Syria's main detractors such as the United States,
contribute to the climate of weariness and take some pressure off Syria for the
forthcoming months and the early part of the year. Certainly, there are still
concerns. In mid-November, the US launched a raid across the Iraqi border, not
far from the city of Al-Qaim, into Syria killing at least two border guards and
wounding others. This attack comes on the heels of massive bombing operations by
the US Air Force around and in al-Qaim since last July, attacks which were
caused concern in Damascus.
Mehlis Has not Stopped Foreign Investment
The Mehlis investigation, meanwhile, has not discouraged foreign investment
in Syria, as Gulf States have invested $1.8 billion by the end of October, which
is remarkable considering that it was $720 million for all of 2004. The
government recently announced projects totalling $5 billion involving Gulf based
companies, and expects another $1 billion worth of new Arab investment before
the year-end, said the minister in charge of economic affairs Al-Dardari,, who
noted, "Until now, we haven't seen any negative impact of the UN
investigations and the political environment surrounding Syria on foreign
investment in the country". The minister said Syria is improving its
infrastructure, while also opening the economy further to decentralize some
activities that were formerly limited to the public sector. One example is the
new Emaar properties company, which is based in Dubai. The company unveiled
plans for two major Damascus real estate development projects on October 17. The
two developments, "Eighth Gate" and "Damascus Hills", will
be the city's first fully planned communities and are together valued at US$3.9
billion. They will be constructed in the countryside near Damascus and will
comprise residential, commercial and real estate compounds, but few Syrians will
have the opportunity, to enjoy the new real-estate development. India and China
are investing in through their respective ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and China
National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) for Petro-Canada's interest in a Syrian venture.
OVL, CNPC have bid for Petro-Canada's 38% in Al Furat fields in Syria. The value
of the 20-year-old 36 oilfields is put around $1 billion.
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