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Syria angrily rejects U.N. resolution
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-01 19:21
Syria's foreign minister faced off with the U.N. Security Council, angrily
rejecting a unanimous resolution that demands Damascus cooperate fully with an
investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik
Hariri.
Diplomats said they were shocked by Farouk al-Sharaa's response on Monday. He
said accusing Syrian security forces of having advance knowledge of Hariri's
killing was tantamount to saying U.S. officials knew ahead of time about the
Sept. 11 attacks, Spain knew about the 2004 train bombings or Britain knew about
this summer's London transit bombings.
And he went one step further, raising questions about why Britain had trained
for similar scenarios soon before the London attacks.
"We know that such security organs, particularly the British, were fully
aware that such attacks would take place and had prior training to face up to
them," al-Sharaa said, jabbing his finger toward British Foreign Minister Jack
Straw as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other foreign ministers
looked on.
Britain, along with the U.S. and France, co-sponsored the resolution which
passed with the support of all 15 nations on the Security Council, including
Algeria, the only Arab nation on the council.
Al-Sharaa's reaction visibly angered Straw, who called it "the most grotesque
and insensitive comparison," "appalling," and "absurd."
Rice called his outburst "a tirade which made the most bizarre connection."
The resolution threatened "further measures" if Syria does not start
cooperating fully with the probe of Hariri's Feb. 14 slaying which also killed
20 other people.
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