The notion that Syria is a repressive government which does now allow foreign media to operate within its borders is a lazy excuse. Western media covered the Iran story extensively two years ago although the Iranian government did not allow Western media to operate inside Iran. But Western media coverage of the Middle East, especially in the US, rarely diverges from the course of US foreign policy. This is part of the Zionists’ success.
Zuhair Siddiq is a name that should have been made famous. It is part of a story that has largely not been covered. Western media covered the death of Rafik Hariri and when the US and Saudi Arabia accused Syria of responsibility, they simply went along.
Nicholas Blanford wrote a book in which he subscribed to the early Hariri family’s theory about the assassination: he simply accused the Syrian regime. And when the Hariri family decided that it the Syrian regime was blameless and that Hezbollah was behind the assassination of Hariri, Blanford also went along and even produced a Hezbollah suspect (who is a wanted man) who basically confessed his identity to Blanford. Later, Blanford said that he did not actually see the man – although his name appeared on the byline – but that his unnamed partner did and that he trusted him deeply. Such are the journalistic methods of Western reporters in the Middle East these days.
Siddiq is a former Syrian mukhabarat type (or so he says, although you are never sure because the man told so many lies over the years) who defected early on to the Hariri cause. The first explosive Mehlis report was almost entirely based on the account of this star witness. Yet, all the claims that Siddiq made about the case fell apart under scrutiny.
Siddiq later changed his tune and began to accuse Hezbollah of carrying out the assassination, but his credibility was ruined. Yet, the Hariri family and the Hariri court in the Hague refused to take action against the false witness. He was sheltered by the UAE government and later by the Mubarak regime.
New TV aired a tape in which Saad Hariri himself seemed to be taking orders from this false witness. The Hariri court never recovered among Lebanese public opinion after this. Siddiq is a free man now and travels all over but may be based in Turkey.
Siddiq seems to have now appeared in the story of the Syrian uprising. There was a video leaked (taken from a documentary that is being shot about the Syrian opposition) which showed Siddiq meeting with the prominent Syrian opposition figure, Haytham al-Malih in Brussels. The meeting seemed odd on camera and al-Malih told Siddiq that his “reputation preceded” him, in reference to his lying record. In the meeting, Siddiq also accused Israel of assassinating Hariri (this part never made it into the news stories) and then left the meeting abruptly and threatened al-Malih. Siddiq’s brother later accused al-Malih of pocketing about US$30 million from Canadian sources.
Saad al-Hariri Caught On Tape with “False Witness” Muhammad Zuhair al-Siddiq
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
Filed under: false witnesses, Syrian opposition, Tribunal for Lebanon, War on syria
