Syria Opposes U.N. Bid for Beirut Queries

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS - Syria opposes the U.N. request to question six of its officials in Beirut about the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister because their presence could cause friction between the two countries, Syria's U.N. ambassador said Tuesday.

Fayssal Mekdad, the ambassador, said Syria has offered chief investigator Detlev Mehlis the chance to interview the Syrians at offices in Cairo, the Golan Height, Vienna or Geneva.

"We hope that Mr. Mehlis does not rule out all these possibilities, because at the end of it what's requested is the substance — not the form," he told The Associated Press. (...)

If Mehlis does not want to "create more complications in Lebanese-Syrian relations, then we think our offer is a generous one and he should use it," Mekdad said.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/un_syria_lebanon

This could lead to a showdown in the Security Council. Of course, Syria may just be playing for time or have no intentions at all to let Mehlis question the officials. On the other hand it's hard to understand why Mehlis insists on Beirut instead of Vienna or Geneva, and it will be even harder to understand if this is used as pretext for sanctions against Syria which will make the Syrian people suffer.

On edit:
At least Kofi Annan is doing something about it:

UN chief acts in Hariri murder probe
By Mark Turner at the United Nations
Published: November 15 2005 23:42 | Last updated: November 15 2005 23:42

Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, has become directly involved in efforts to find an alternative site where international investigators can interview Syrian officials over the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Detlev Mehlis, the UN investigator, is said to want to interview six officials in Beirut, but Damascus has rejected the proposal, warning that holding them there could stir destabilising “emotions and sensitivities”.

The UN said on Tuesday Mr Annan talked to Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, on Monday. Officials said Mr Annan was keen on finding a compromise which might avoid Mr Mehlis reporting Syria’s non-co-operation to the UN Security Council. That report could set in train action, including sanctions, under the UN’s Chapter 7 enforcement mechanisms.

More:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/eaeb2728-562f-11da-b04f-00000e25118c.html