Syria denies joint Syria/Iran/Hezbollah investigation

From the Palestinian Pundit blog:

"DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria denied Iranian claims that the two countries would conduct a joint investigation into the assassination of a top Hezbollah commander, the Syrian state news agency reported.

Imad Mughniyeh, who was one of the world's most wanted fugitives, was killed in a car bomb in the Syrian capital Tuesday night. He was accused of masterminding attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheik Attar announced the joint probe on Friday, according to Iran's official news agency.

But a Syrian official dismissed the report as "totally baseless" and said Damascus would conduct the investigation alone, Syria's state-run news agency reported late Friday. It did not name the official.....

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met with senior Syrian officials in Damascus on Thursday and Friday to discuss Mughniyeh's assassination. Attar said Friday that Iran and Syria agreed to the joint investigation during Mottaki's visit....."

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This is rather interesting. Earlier it was announced that not only Iran, but also Hizbullah were involved in the investigation. For example Al-Jazeera reported this: Hezbollah security team in Syria.

It seems that the Syrian regime has something to hide; otherwise why not cooperate with Hizbullah and Iran?
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Commentary: ok, now things are getting clearer. Assad probably got a call from his bosses in Jerusalem or Washington and is now reneging on his promise. He must have received some security guarantees to take such a risky step and openly defy Iran and Hezbollah. From the sorry scumbag who sold out the PKK and Ocalan to the Turks such duplicity was to be expected: why not kill Mughniyah and backstab Hezbollah? Except that Mughniyah was not Ocalan and Hezbollah is not the PKK: Hezbollah can - and will - fight back and retaliate. Ditto for Iran. And if Assad really thinks that the Empire can help and protect him he is as stupid as he is duplicitous.