BEIRUT, Lebanon, October 22 (Lebanonwire) -- Damascus radio used Saad Hariri’s televised statement Saturday to launch a new wave of verbal assaults against what it described as “those who plunder night and day, and interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.”

The radio said that Hariri’s address was nothing but a concoction of lies aimed at undermining Syrian solidarity and unity in the face of unsubstantiated accusations Syria categorically denied.

“(Saad) Hariri’s libelous statements which coincided with identical opinions expressed in the Israeli press reflect a coordinated effort at slandering Syria’s reputation and weakening it with the aim of meddling in its affairs,” the radio said.

The radio said, “Hariri is just an MP, but he speaks as if he is representing the voice of all Lebanese.”

In an earlier televised statement, Hariri said that if he was able to put his feelings anger aside, he nevertheless had the duty to uncover the telltale accounts of the UN report on Rafik Hariri’s murder investigation “for the sake of all the martyrs who paid for their courage with their blood.”

“(Rafik) Hariri was not killed by accident,” Hariri said adding, “he was aware of the dangers that he faced and the threats he received and when they were not able to politically assassinate him, they physically did.”

Hariri said his dad was subjected to political assassination attempts dozens of times since 1998 and following the mandate extension of President Emile Lahoud “ which was imposed, unconstitutional and against the will of the people.”

“The Syrian poeple are our dear friends and brothers and will remain so, but we will not compromise or make concessions on the results of the report and we will move to transform what was a security run government into a democratic one,” Hariri said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous said during a press conference Saturday that Syria had fully cooperated with the UN commission and reminded “while many are trying to implicate us by hook or by crook, the UN report said that every suspect should remain innocent until proven guilty.”

Riad Al-Dawoody, Syria Foreign Ministry legal council and advisor said that the report was “politicized” aimed at making Syria look guilty and implicate it in the crime.

“We are not facing a report that could legitimately lead to a criminal tribunal, despite the wishes of many,” Al-Dawoody said adding, “We hope that Europe does not adopt the US stance on this issue.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora held a number of meetings late last night to confer with the British, French and US ambassadors on the results of the UN report.

Siniora also had separate talks with Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun on the same matter.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat met Saturday with Amal Movement MP Ali Hasan Khalil and is expected to hold a press conference Sunday to reveal the party’s position on the UN report.

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