DAMASCUS, (SANA)_The
initial report of the judicial committee investigating al-Houla massacre
affirmed that all the victims belonged to peaceful families who
wouldn't stand up to the state and had never joined protests or held up
arms, who also had opposed the armed terrorist groups.The initial findings indicated that the victims were killed by fire at close distance and sharp tools, not by shellfire.

The
initial report added that the armed terrorist groups who gathered in
al-Houla liquidated the victims in the process of an attack on the
law-enforcement members who hadn't entered the area where the massacre
occurred, adding that most of the bodies are of terrorists who were
killed in the clash with the law-enforcement members.Brigadier
General Qassem Jamal Suleiman, head of the investigation committee,
said in a press conference at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday that the
investigation is in its initial stages and is still underway. He
added that the investigation committee depended on testimonies of
eyewitnesses who saw the massacre happen that can be directly verified,
adding that some of them will appear on TVs, indicating that the initial
report was based on evidences and facts in relation to the armed attack
that targeted the law-enforcement members in the town.Gen.
Suleiman said that law-enforcement members were positioned at five
points in al-Houla, adding that the armed attack was aimed at turning
the place into an area outside the state's control. Suleiman
said that the armed men gathered inside the village after Friday
prayers and started an onslaught simultaneously with other gunmen
numbered between 600-800 who came from neighboring areas, namely
al-Rastan, al-Sa'an, Burjka'I, al-Sam'alin and others, where mortars,
machineguns and anti-tank missiles were used, targeting two
law-enforcement points as the main target of the attack, one near Taldao
and the second near al-Sa'a Roundabout.Suleiman
said that the terrorist groups came from outside the town and
simultaneously liquidated peaceful families during the attack on the
law-enforcement members.He indicated that
the place where the massacre happened is in an area where there are
armed terrorist groups, and no law-enforcement members entered the area
neither before nor after the massacre, indicating that the area is
located far from the law-enforcement members' posts. He
added that the law-enforcement members hadn't left their positions but
defended themselves against the terrorist groups, which can be verified
through the victims' images aired by satellite channels, showing that
the massacre happened due to close fire and sharp tools, not shellfire
as the images showed no signs of mashing, burns or traces of shelling
buildings, which means that what happened was direct liquidation.Suleiman
added that killing children does not serve the law-enforcement members
or the state, but serves the armed terrorist groups who seek to incite
sedition.Gen. Suleiman said that all the
victims belonged to peaceful families who wouldn't stand up to the state
and had never joined protests or held up arms, who also had opposed the
armed terrorist groups, indicating that the terrorist groups aimed to
invite foreign and humanitarian intervention.Suleiman
said that the massacre targeted the relatives of the People's Assembly
member Abdul-Moa'ti Mashlab whom they wanted to take revenge of before
the events ran contrary to the plan and the massacre extended to
slaughter other families.He affirmed that
the massacre perpetrated by armed terrorist groups is part of the scheme
that seeks to give the impression that a civil war is close at hand in
Syria as it coincided with the visit of the UN envoy Kofi Annan.For
his part, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
Ministry, Dr. Jihad Makdissi, said "The report which came after three
days is initial and the investigation is still underway as the massacre
has political and criminal dimensions. The investigation faces
difficulties due to the presence of gunmen in the area.'' ''There
are further details that were kept unannounced out of fear for the
lives of the eyewitnesses. When the investigation ends, we will put the
full conclusions to the international community, the UN Security Council
and the UN observer mission,'' added Makdissi.Answering
a question on whether the international community and the humanitarian
and international bodies would be convinced on the findings of the
initial investigation, Makdissi said ''It is a complicated matter to
identify the international community, as part of the international
community is hostile to Syria and has an agenda against it. What we care
for is public opinion and the citizens who back the state because the
state doesn't commit such crimes and is in a state of self-defense as
terrorists are being funded and armed.''''It
is a heinous crime that was condemned by the Syrian government for
which we deny responsibility and stress that the Syrian army can never
commit such a crime…The perpetrators sought to take revenge of a family
of one of the People's Assembly members, but events got out of hand and a
larger massacre was perpetrated.''Makdissi
said that neither statements have not accused the Syrian army but
hinted at other elements, adding that the Syrian army protects citizens.In
reply to a question on not engaging the observer mission in the
investigation, Makdissi said ''It was the Syrian side who contacted the
head of the mission, Robert Mood, who was sent by the Syrian Foreign
Ministry…There were gunmen killed in the clash and moved to the
village's mosque and filmed for the massacre to appear larger. When the
observers arrived, there was a flood of lies aired by media.'' Makdissi
added that the Syrian government was acquitted of other massacres in
Karm al-Zaitoun and Deir Baalbeh, adding that clues pertaining to the
massacre are revealed.''There is diligent
work to incite sedition in Syria…There are 18 sects that have lived in
harmony for years and the massacres are aimed at shattering this
coexistence, but the Syrian fabric is impervious to sedition attempts,''
added Makdissi.Makdissi said that there
are sides working day and night to ignite sectarian sedition; even after
al-Houla massacre, they tried to attack another village but they did
not succeed.Makdissi pointed out that the
world media focused on some massacres because they belong to a certain
sect in Syria, adding that in Syria all Syrians are equal regardless of
their sects.Concerning Syrian ambassador
and diplomats whose mission was ended in some western capitals, Makdissi
said, "Ambassadors everywhere work to serve their countries' interests.
Recalling or expelling ambassadors is a political decision. We are
dissatisfied because we built our diplomatic relations with whom we
thought are our partners."He added that
diplomatic transactions are based on reciprocity; however, Syria will
not resort to malicious policies. Syria belives in diplomacy and
dialogue as means to solve problems among states.Makdissi
stressed that about 200 media outlets are working in Syria in addition
to 100 accredited media outlets, adding that there are no restrictions
on the work of the media.Asked about the
coordination between the Syrian Investigation Committee and the UN
Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) team, Makdissi said the UNSMIS is
not an investigation committee; it is tasked with observing and
verifying.He said, "We are telling the
UNSMIS about the results of the investigation; we sent General Robert
Mood to the massacre site, and we would like Annan to look at the
reality of events in Syria through the eyes of the observers."