DAMASCUS (Agencies)
Hinting that Israel was responsible for the murder, Syrian foreign minister has said that Damascus will soon present "irrefutable" proof of who was behind the assassination of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh.
"As a state, we will irrefutably prove the party involved in this crime and who stands behind it. An investigation is ongoing," Walid al-Muallem told reporters.
"We hope that you will soon hear the results of this mighty effort," Muallem said after meeting his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki, who came from Beirut where he attended Mughnieh’s funeral.
Asked whether Tuesday's killing in a district of the Syrian capital swarming with security would undermine chances for peace with Israel, Muallem said the assassination killed "any effort to revive the peace process".
"Whoever wants peace does not commit terrorism, whoever wants peace does not lay siege to Gaza with a million and half Palestinians struggling for the minimum to survive," he said.
Mughnieh’s car was towed away from the scene of the explosion in Kfrar Souseh district an hour after a bomb tore it apart and killed the enigmatic Hezbollah military leader.
Muallem declined to say whether the authorities have apprehended anyone in connection with the attack or whether there had been a breach in the huge security apparatus of tightly controlled Syria.
"I cannot comment to preserve the secrecy of the investigation. The fighter Imad Mughnieh was the target of lots of intelligence agencies. He was a backbone of the Islamic resistance," he said. |
 |
US sanctions Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Israel killed Mughnieh, who was wanted by Washington. The Jewish state denied the accusation, although its intelligence division had sought to kill him.
Nasrallah threatened to retaliate by declaring “open war” on Israel in a fiery speech in the Lebanese capital on Thursday at the funeral of the top commander.
The outspoken leader of the Shiite organization said that by killing Mughnieh in Damascus, Israel had taken its battle with the militant group outside Lebanon's borders and as such it should expect attacks anywhere.
Israel tightened security around its missions worldwide, declaring it was not “panicking” after Nasrallah’s threats.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack described the threat as alarming. "Hezbollah has a long record of carrying out violent acts, acts of terrorism around the globe," he added.
Western countries accuse Syria of being the main weapons supply route for Hezbollah, in contravention of a United Nations resolution. Syria says no weapons cross its territory bound to the Shiite group, which is also supported by Iran.
Washington has stepped up pressure on the Damascus government and announced this week preparations to expand financial sanctions against Syrian officials and their associates.
Muallem said Syria will respond "in kind" to the latest U.S. escalation. He did not elaborate. |
