(New York Times) Editorial - Bashar al-Assad faces a moment of truth that he has worked hard to evade. The Syrian dictator has been asked to meet with a UN team investigating last February's murder of former Lebanese prime minister Hariri. If Assad stonewalls or refuses to meet with the team, even those Security Council members who have shielded Syria - like Russia, China, and Algeria - will find it hard to claim that Damascus is cooperating enough to avoid imposing tough sanctions. Syria's efforts to thwart this inquiry are not only shielding Hariri's killers from justice, but are also making it impossible for Lebanon's people to regain full control of their country. Firm pressure from the Security Council will be needed to finally end Syria's deadly meddling in Lebanese affairs.
2006-01-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive