www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=10033

11/7/2005 2:24:00 PM GMT

*Although Syria agreed to hire a special committee to investigate the alleged Syrian involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri- Washington seems set to use Hariri’s killing to justify the use of force or other serious action against Syria- the same chronology of events in the run up to Iraq war, stated an /International Herald Tribune/ editorial.*

Will Syria become another Iraq?

As it did with Iraq, Washington used the United Nations Security Council as an instrument, pressuring the UN pass a resolution demanding full Syrian cooperation with the international team investigating the assassination of Rafiq Al Hariri, arresting those accused in the report of UN investigator Detlev Mehlis of having hands in the assassination.

The resolution also requires that interrogations be conducted outside Syria.

This could be seen as a key proof that the Security Council is being used as an instrument of Western powers to punish Arab states.

The team’s report and the resolution were both rejected and criticised by the Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Shara, who also accused the UNSC of applying double standards by not acting sufficiently towards Israel’s heinous crimes, including the massacres in Qana and Jenin- Israel didn’t suffer any consequences for repeatedly refusing to allow any international teams investigate its aggressive acts.

Pressuring Syria and Washington’s claims will continue regardless to the level of cooperation Syria offers- Bush’s admin still enjoys limitless freedomto launch war, invade sovereign nations when it deems necessary or time is appropriate- without worrying about justifying its acts, thanks to the UN biased policy and double standards.

The Syrian government made overtures to the United States to engage in meaningful dialogue, but the Bush administration is fixated on ousting the Syrian President as it did with Saddam Hussein.

But this time Washington’s claims are too unconvincing compared to those it used in the run up to Iraq war: the WMD, Al Qaeda link and “rhetorics” of freedom and “democracy”

Mehlis’ weak report, which relies mainly on speculations, assumptions and witnesses’ statements, offers no solid evidence that Syria was involved in Hariri’s killing.

Even if it’s proven that Syrian officials were behind the assassination, a possible U.S. attack against Syria defies all international covenants relating to the legal use of force.

Some American strategists said that the U.S. needs to change Syria and Iran’s regimes to strengthen its position in Iraq- It is also part of a wider U.S. agenda in the region; controlling the Arab oil.

So the new belligerence is clearly not out of concern about ensuring justice or care for Hariri’s assassination; but rather intimidating Syria and other Arab states into toeing the U.S. line.