Syria agrees on interview

Al Arabiya writes that "Damascus agrees on ash-Shara' to be interrogated by the Inquiry Commission". The subheading in the article adds that "Chirac demands Damascus collaboration" and that "[UK Foreign Secretary Jack] Straw denies the intention of a regime change in Syria". In fact, Jack Straw harshly criticised the Syrian regime during a five-minute interview which was given to BBC on his way to Beirut. Straw said:

We are not in any way encouraging or anticipating a collapse of government in Syria, but this regime has been weakened from within and has to face up to its own desperate contradictions.