BEIRUT, Lebanon, October 1 (Lebanonwire) -- David Welsh, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East affairs said that Syria created the right environment to suggest that it was behind the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri,  Pan Arab Daily Al Hayat reported Satyrday.

In an interview with the daily, Welsh said that the Hariri investigation should follow all the leads in the case and needs the cooperation of all countries including Syria, in order for Detlev Mehlis who is in charge of heading the UN probe to issue his report .

Welsh described Syria’s cooperation as inconsistent, but said that the US will listen to the UN recommendations and negotiate with Lebanon and its western allies before commenting on the issue.

Welsh said that talks about where the trial will take place have been discussed and pointed to the fact that there wasn’t a protocol whereby Lebanon and Syria could exchange suspects.

Welsh said that anti-Syrian sentiments were prevalent before Hariri’s assassination on February 14 “and increased in the period following it.”

“What is clear is that Syria created the right atmosphere to commit the crime and they might well be behind it, but we don’t know that yet,” Welsh told the daily.

Welsh said the US is intent on implementing UN 1559, including disarming the militia groups in Lebanon and rehabilitating the Lebanese Army. Welsh denied that the US intends on changing the regime in Syria.

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