Syrians rally against UN’s Hariri report

HUNDREDS of thousands of Syrians rallied yesterday against a UN report implicating Damascus in the killing of Lebanon’s former prime minister as the government pulled out all the stops to show it enjoys support at home, if not abroad.

The mass demonstrations in the capital of Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo were a concerted attempt to drum up support for President Bashar Assad ahead of expected international pressure.

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the report by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis today, and the United States and Britain are pushing for the world body to take a tough stand on Syria.