Memo By the National Leadership of The Baath Arab Socialist party On the Pressures Against Syria, After the Release of Judge Detlev Mehlis Report, Addressed to the Political Parties and Organizations in the World

Dear Friends,

No doubt you are following the pressures, led by the American administration, against the Syrian Arab Republic since some times. Such pressures began to escalate after the American occupation of Iraq in order to blackmail Syria and compel it to abandon its firm national stands, just causes and to deal with the American Israeli plan and not to oppose which wants to redraw the region map within an aggressive design against the region that began by occupying Iraq, following the preemptive war style and to spread "constructive chaos" that achieve this plan objective.
After assassinating the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik al Hariri, on 14/2/2005, resolution 1595, which stipulates forming an international investigation committee to aid the Lebanese Authorities in disclosing the circumstances of this heinous crime, condemned by Syria, and to know those who stand behind this crime, planners and executers, Syria was the first of those who were damaged by this crime. Under such atmospheres a media and political campaign was escalated against Syria led and directed by the United States, exploiting the political atmospheres in Lebanon that resulted after this crime, in order to achieve objectives for the parties who are behind this campaign and have nothing to do with the assassination itself, but they were using it in order to achieve their own objectives.
Within the framework of this campaign, Syria was accused of infiltrating fighters into Iraq, supporting the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation, under terrorism title, and finally accusing Syria of interfering in Lebanese affairs and backing the assassination of Al Hariri.
Those accusations are bootless and baseless. Syria at the very beginning expressed its stands and opposed the war on Iraq clarifying that war does not solve problems but it creates in Iraq and the region security chaos and instability. And this actually happened. Syria later on asserted that the occupation of Iraq will fragment and partition this brotherly country. Syria supported the political process for achieving a national reconciliation in which all the Iraqis participate in order to maintain Iraq unity and enable the Iraqi people determine their future freely without foreign intervention.
Syria demanded that the United Nation resolutions related to the peace process be implemented, but Israel and the United States are hindering these resolutions because they do not care for peace. Syria implemented its part of the international resolutions related to Lebanon: withdrawal of its forces, formation of international investigation committee and cooperation with it.
But what has really happened is that the report of this committee, chaired by judge Detlev Mehlis which was handed over to the UN Secretary General on October 20, deviated from its legal judicial character, influenced by the political atmospheres that prevailed in Lebanon and made analysis, conclusions and explanations as follows:
1- The report has a political form and was prepared in tensive political atmospheres that continued after the assassination. It relied on witnesses lacking credibility. It also neglected testimonies made by Syrian officials. Thus, the report is bias and not objective.
2- It unjustly pointed at Syria "non-cooperation" with the committee while Syria cooperated fully and completely. The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in a news conference, stated that all steps were done according to a consent by judge Mehlis.
3- The report relied on Mohamad Zuheir Siddik testimony, and on the basis of this testimony, it directed an accusation against Syria, even though this witness had been convicted of criminal acts, such as fraud and forgery and was totally lacking credibility. All of a sudden, this witness has become accused of preparing, planning and executing the crime. Then he became a driver at the intelligence section instead of being a director of the intelligence office.
4- The report lacks judicial credibility and professionality because it relied on suppositions calumnies and allegations that have no evidences or concrete proofs that indicate alleged Syrian involvement in the assassination of Al Hariri. The report only obscurely narrated mostly fabricated stories on which mass media, in and out of Lebanon, concentrated. They only convince Syria and Lebanon enemies who run huge media machines mobilized by their owners, alleging that they want truth. The report conclusion is far from this truth. Even the chairman of the committee himself confirmed that his report is incomplete and needs more follow-up of the investigations which need months or maybe years.
5- The report focused on one possibility by directing accusations against Syria (most harmed by the crime). It ignored any hint to Israel but in the context of thanking Israel for its cooperation, although Mehlis did not visit it. It is no secret that Israel had a supposed role in that crime because it is the most beneficiary of this crime.

Now the report had been delivered to the Security Council, convened on 25.10.2005 to consider the report, in investigative atmospheres caused by the American administration and its representative at the UN, as previously done by the US Foreign Secretary, in order to tensify the atmosphere against Syria in order to bring it into account and punish it. It is known that targeting Syria is also targeting the steadfast Arab stand which defends the Arab Nation rights, the region security and stability and to weaken Syria whose stands form a force against American and Zionist hegemony in the region and an obstacle facing the design made for the region whose first implementation steps began by occupying Iraq.
Syria explained its stand toward the report in the letters made by His Excellency President Bashar Al Assad addressed to the Security Council Country Members and in the statement released by the Syrian foreign Ministry and the Press Conference. And in the statement made by Mr. Faisal Mekdad, Syria permanent representative at the UN during the Security Council Session on 25/10/2005, refuting the report contradiction and untrue accusations which do not rely on specific evidences.
Taking these facts into consideration, the Baath Arab Socialist Party, due to being keen on solidarity, cooperation and coordination in order to maintain international peace and security and to maintain the International Law and legitimacy, appeals to you hoping that:
1- You support the stands of Syria who is confident of being innocent and sincerely and faithfully cooperated with the international committee investigating a Al Harriri assassination, who always was committed to the international legitimacy principles and resolutions. Supporting Syria is a support to the Arab just struggle against occupation and aggression and it is also a support to the peoples of the world against control, hegemony, wars, discrimination and double criteria.
2- To participate in organizing mass media solidarity campaigns and other kinds of campaigns to face the media war and multi-faced pressures against Syria and its national stands, and to participate in disclosing the allegations, lies and truth falsification in the report. Such campaigns are expected, first of all, by the Arab people in Syria, as well as in Lebanon, the Arab region and the world and to expose the Zionist American plan which they want to make it pass through several means such as this report.
3- The pressures, hegemony and threats, the free countries are facing, require all the peoples, political organizations and world peace forces to express solidarity with Syria in order to avoid the consequences and dangers of such policies which threaten the independence of the peoples, societies, countries and world peace.
4- To emphasize that the conclusions, analysis and explanations in the report are not based on evidences. This is a deviation away from the mission given to the international committee which should have a legal and judiciary character. The report content conflicts with the legal, judiciary rules and human ethics.

Syria, confirming once again its cooperation with the United Nations and the international Investigation Committee, in order to know the truth, suggests that all concerned parties in different countries of the world and in the Security Council continue their missions sincerely and in harmony with the United Nation's Charter and that all the UN resolutions be implemented without exemption, without selectivity or double criteria.

With our warm greetings.