Brammertz in Damascus within the next 48 hours

The Daily Star - Politics - Brammertz in Damascus within the next 48 hours

Brammertz in Damascus within the next 48 hours
By Leila Hatoum
Daily Star staff



BEIRUT: Serge Brammertz, the head of the UN probe investigating the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, is expected to visit Damascus within the next 48 hours, according to a Lebanese security source.

The source said Thursday that Brammertz "and members from his team will be meeting with several Syrian witnesses in Damascus," without revealing the names of the witnesses, of whom the infamous masked witness Houssam Houssam is expected to be one.

When contacted by The Daily Star Thursday, the UN probe's spokesperson refused to confirm or deny, saying: "We don't comment on the commissioner's moves, we don't give information on the investigation."

Brammertz already visited Syria two weeks ago, on February 23, when he met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, and some members of the Syrian probe investigating Hariri's assassination.

Moallem had said that the visit was fruitful and Syria would extend full cooperation to the UN probe.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he is planning to meet Moallem in Moscow next week to discuss Syria's cooperation with the UN probe and "the implementation of UN Security Council's resolutions."

Lavrov comments came following his meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, after which he said: "We will encourage the continued cooperation of Syria" with Brammertz.

He added Russia "would be very cautious not to go beyond" the stipulations of the UN resolutions, and would not "use them for some political means."

The same security source told The Daily Star Thursday that Brammertz had paid a two-hour visit to the Helo Internal Security Forces base In Mazraa, Beirut, Wednesday; and had checked the forensic laboratory there.

The Helo ISF base is where the remains of Hariri's car, which was blown up in a massive explosion last year, are housed.

"The forensic laboratory was founded some four years ago but the Syrians never allowed the Lebanese security to fully utilize it or develop it, and forced the Lebanese to either use the Syrian labs or labs in Lebanon favored by the Syrians," said the security source.

Meanwhile, Brammertz met with Justice Minister Charles Rizk and two Lebanese judges, Choukri Sader and Ralph Riachi who were recently at the UN in New York to discuss the set up of a tribunal to try the perpetrators in Hariri's case.