Russian President Putin Rescued Assad From The UN Ultimatum

DEBKAfile Intelligence

November 25, 2005

Assad succeeds in holding back his brother-in-law Gen. Assef Shawqat from the UN Hariri investigation.

The Syrian ruler bowed to the UN investigator Detlev Mehlis ultimatum to agree to their handover by Friday night, Nov. 26 – but DEBKAfile reveals that he did so only after his terms were accepted and a pledge that no arrest warrants would be issued against the five suspects. Russian president Valdimir Putin underwrote Mehlis’ pledge to comply with Assad’s terms and promised to veto any anti-Syrian resolution tabled by UN secretary Kofi Annan, the US or France condemning Syria’s failure to cooperate with the international probe.