10-28-05, 8:28 am

WFTU Calls Upon International Trade Union Movement To Further Strengthen Solidarity With Syria And Denounce The Fabrications And Threats Against The Syrian Arab Republic The World Federation of Trade Unions strongly condemns the recent heightened efforts to aggravate tensions, chaos and conflicts in the Arab region and the attempts to disregard the tragic events resulting from the occupation of Iraq, Palestine and other Arab lands as well as the plans to reinforce hegemony by the United States and expand Israeli penetration and their efforts to undermine solidarity with Syria and other Arab countries.

The WFTU Secretariat expresses its deep concern at the reported conclusions of the International Inquiry Mission concerning the assassination of Mr.Rafik Al Hariry, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon. Our Federation considers that the report presented by Mr.Milies, Chairman of the Commission. The WFTU considers the report imprecise, not based on facts and lacks professionalism which should bethe essential conditions for an Inquiry Commission dealing with criminal issues.

The WFTU Secretariat has sent a Statement and Message of Solidarity to its affiliated national trade union centers in Syria and Lebanon.

The WFTU has sent the following message to the UN Secretary General and Chairman of the UN Security Council:

The WFTU expresses its grave concern and protest against the attempts to mis-utilise the United Nations and the Security Council and specialized agencies to apply pressure on the Syrian Arab Republic and other Member States and impose sanctions and blockades, in order to serve the interests of some super powers and their accomplices.

We consider that the Report of the International Inquiry Commission headed by Mr.Milies is not based on facts or legal evidence and has become a political statement. We consider that the Report has reached conclusions without proper and wide investigations

The Report has been politicalised, we consider it unfair and has not helped to find the truth. It can only create further instability and conflict in the region and the world. The main task of the UN Security Council is to maintain peace and security and we hope that our grave concern will be brought to the attention of the UN Securit Council.

We therefore request you to urge the UN Security Council to take into account that the Syrian Arab Republic has fully cooperated with the Inquiry Commission and therefore, the UN bodies should take effective and impartial measures to find the truth.

The UN Security Council should avoid all attempts to impose sanctions under pressure from those who want to impose their hegemony.