Lebanon to ask for extension of UN Hariri probe
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-02 13:40

Lebanon said on Thursday that it will ask the UN Security Council to extend its probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri for six more months.

"The government is in favor of a six-month extension of the commission's mandate and convened to formulate a request (to the UN)," said Deputy Premier Elias Murr, who is also defense minister, after a weekly cabinet meeting.

The move came as Detlev Mehlis, the chief of the UN inquiry into Hariri's assassination, accused Syria of trying to obstruct his investigation.

On Thursday, Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk and Mehlis discussed a possible renewal of the mission's mandate and Rizk said after the talks that the investigation into the murder could "last months, if not years," according to the local media.

The Lebanese minister also confirmed that Mehlis may step down when he submits his next report to the Security Council as scheduled on December 15.

In New York, UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari has said he expected the investigation to continue but Mehlis may hand the work over to someone else.

Mehlis issued an interim report last month, implicating Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing of Hariri in a massive bombing in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on February 14.

Syria denied any role in the killing and dismissed the UN report as politically motivated.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on October 31, demanding that Syria fully cooperate with the probe or face "further action."