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Report on UN probe into Hariri killing requests more time

A report on the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri on Saturday cited further cooperation from Syria and backed Beirut's request to extend the UN probe into the murder to which Damascus has been linked.

The report was delivered to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan by the head of the UN enquiry commission, Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, five days before the panel's mandate was due to expire.

As it did in an earlier interim report in March, the UN commission spoke of improved cooperation from Syria, widely believed to be involved in the killing.

Damascus, which has strenuously denied any role in the slaying, has come under intense international pressure to cooperate with the UN probe.

"Cooperation with Syria has further developed," the report said. But it added: "Full and unconditional cooperation from Syria to the commission remains crucial."

The report specifically noted meetings the inquiry commission had with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Vice President Faruq al-Shara, as well as other requests for information and documents that were met in a "timely and generally satisfactory" manner.

Overall, the report concluded that "considerable progress has been achieved" in the investigation, with the commission close to completing its work relating to the crime scene, the convoy carrying Hariri and other events on the day.

Hariri was killed in a massive bomb blast that also killed 22 others on the Beirut seafront in February last year.

The Brammertz report also welcomed Lebanon's call for extending his panel's mandate for up to one year, saying this would "provide a sense of continuity and stability, enable progressive operations and planning, and offer assurances to staff."

Annan forwarded the report to the 15 members of the Security Council before it was made available to reporters. Brammertz is to brief the Council on his findings on Wednesday.

The report also focused on the panel's technical assistance to Lebanese authorities in their probe of 14 other recent bombings that targeted anti-Syrian politicians.

It said that investigation was "lacking significant forward momentum" due to "the fragmented nature of the Lebanese law enforcement and judicial system and a lack of expert capacity."

"In light of their potential importance to the Hariri investigation and significance for Lebanese society as a whole, the commission believes that a more concerted and robust effort is needed to move these investigations forward," the report added.

Brammertz said the "fundamental building blocks" of the probe were now understood, in particular those concerning the explosion, the carrier and the method of delivery.

The commission stopped short, however, of using the label "suicide bomber," saying it had yet to establish whether the person detonated the device willingly "or was coerced into doing so."
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