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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Legal procedures delay Syrian officials' departure. Or not?
2005-11-30
Looks like DEBKA was right yesterday:
Reliable sources said that the International Investigation committee in the assassination of President Rafik Hariri will soon hear the testimonies of the five Syrian officials at the UN office in Vienna.
Sources said that it is likely the hearing will be done next week.

In Vienna, the Austrian Ministry of Interior said that the Syrian officials did not arrive in Vienna so far. Spokesman for the Ministry stated "as far as I know, they did not arrive yet" affirming that the ministry is on high alert against terrorism and refusing to give further details. A French diplomat source yesterday afternoon said that the Syrian delegation is" supposed to be arrived in Vienna".
Meanwhile, the UN and the Syrian embassy in Vienna did not confirm the arrival of the Syrian officials. Spokeswoman for the UN in Vienna made it clear that the "file is branded as top secret and no comment".
DEBKA said 3 out of 5 arrived and were wisked to the UN site under heavy security.
Informed sources in Damascus said that the five Syrian officials did not fly to Vienna yet. Legal procedures have delayed their departure which was due to be last Monday and the questioning was due to be yesterday.
There seems to be some confusion in the Syrian press about if they went, or not:
Assad's brother-in-law excluded from Vienna interrogations
Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and Syria's overall intelligence chief Assef Shawkat was not among the five Syrian officials interrogated Tuesday by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis in Vienna, a source close to the probe into the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri said:

Before leaving Lebanon for Vienna, Mehlis met with Lebanese Public Prosecutor Saeid Mirza and discussed with him the planned Vienna interrogations. The French Foreign Ministry expressed "satisfaction" on Tuesday for the interrogations of the five Syrian officers, but declined to comment on Monday's news conference held by "runaway Syrian witness Houssam Taher Houssam," saying it is up to Mehlis to take a stand from Houssam's allegations.

Washington had said late monday that it hopes Syria continues its cooperation and that it is up to Mehlis to carry out the path of investigations.
Posted by:Steve

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