[JURIST] Arab nations are quietly pressing Syria to fully cooperate with the international investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri [JURIST news archive] following Syria's criticism [JURIST report] Tuesday of a UN resolution [text; JURIST report] ordering Syria to cooperate and opening the door for sanctions if the government does not comply. In a show of support for the UN investigation [UN background materials], Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf nations advised President Bashar Assad [Wikipedia profile] to stop resisting UN demands. Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheik Mohammed Al Sabah, said Tuesday that the UN resolution is to be “respected by all.” Meanwhile Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has tried to persuade Assad to cooperate, while warning the US against acting too harshly and inviting a fundamentalist Islamic regime into Syria. AP has more.
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