Assad's fresh assertion coincided with the scheduled presentation of German Prosecutor Detlev Mehlis of his report on Hariri's death to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York sometime later in the day.

"We are 100 percent innocent," Assad was quoted as telling the German weekly Die Zeit. "We have absolutely no understanding for such crimes."

"Besides that, what happened in Lebanon is not in Syria's interest, quite the opposite: it damages us," he added. "Why in all the world should we support such acts?"

Assad said Damascus was cooperating fully with the U.N. investigating team, "which has not leveled any charges against Syria."

"There is no evidence of anything," he said.(AP-Naharnet)