France arrests Syrian witness in UN probe of Hariri killing
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-17 21:18

French police arrested a former Syrian intelligence officer accused of lying to U.N. investigators probing the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, police and judicial officials said Monday.

Mohammed Zuhair Al-Siddiq was taken into custody Sunday in the Paris suburb of Chatou by France's DST counterespionage service, police in France said. He was the subject of an international arrest warrant and is expected to be extradited, the police said.

The arrest warrant, issued by Lebanese Magistrate Elias Eid, accused Al-Siddiq of giving phony testimony and misleading the U.N. investigation, judicial officials in Lebanon said.

Arab media has billed Al-Siddiq, 45, as being a leading witness in the probe by chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis of Hariri's killing earlier this year. Mehlis is to release his report by October 25.

French police identified Al-Siddiq as a former intelligence officer _ as he reportedly claimed during testimony _ though many questions remained about his identity and his involvement with Syrian officials.

Lebanese Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Fatfat, a close Hariri ally, claimed Al-Siddiq had lied, "perhaps because he wanted it this way, either for personal interest or perhaps because he was planted to mislead the investigation."

"It will all show in court," he told Voice of Lebanon radio, after being asked about the arrest.

According to media reports in Lebanon and the Arab world, Al-Siddiq claimed he took part in a meeting of Lebanese security officials who drew up a plan to kill Hariri. He then allegedly left Syria for a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia before ending up in France, where he was interviewed by U.N. investigators.

Al-Siddiq also told investigators he was at the crime scene before and after the massive bombing targeted Hariri's motorcade, according to the media reports.

The Syrians have sought to discredit Al-Siddiq as being a wanted man at home, for fleeing his military service and for fraud, according to the media reports. Al-Siddiq's family in Syria also called his accusations lies.

Newspapers, including the pan-Arab Al Hayat, have raised suspicions the Syrians planted al-Siddiq to confuse investigators. There was no immediate comment from Syrian officials Monday.

Hariri and 20 others were killed February 14 by a massive bomb that blew up his motorcade as it passed through central Beirut.

The killing touched off a groundswell of protest in Lebanon and internationally, forcing Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and ending nearly three decades of domination of its tiny neighbor.

The Mehlis team has named four Lebanese generals, all close to Syria, as suspects in the assassination. Lebanon has arrested them.

Last week, one of seven Syrian officials who was questioned by the investigation, Interior Minister Ghazi Kenaan, committed suicide.