UN Security Council backs away from expanding Hariri probe
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-15 10:43

Under international pressure, the U.N. Security Council has backed away from a proposal to widen the probe into the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister to include a spate of other politically motivated killings.

Instead, the latest proposal issued Wednesday would have U.N. investigators give technical assistance "as appropriate" to Lebanese officials investigating attacks since October 1 2004 and ask U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to consult with Lebanon on expanding its mandate at a later date.

The council is wrestling with a new resolution to extend the investigation and respond to two events on Monday: the probe's latest conclusion that new evidence reaffirms suspicions that Syrian intelligence played a role in Rafik Hariri's February 14 assassination; and a car bombing that killed anti-Syrian lawmaker and editor Gibran Tueni.

A vote is expected Thursday because the mandate of the investigation led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis expires on December 15.

Lebanon had requested that the probe investigate Tueni's killing and other assassinations that have rocked Lebanon. It also wanted a tribunal of an "international character" to try suspects in Hariri's assassination.

Several members of the council, led by Britain, France and the U.S., hope the revised resolution they introduced will keep pressure on Syria to cooperate with the probe. Mehlis told the council on Tuesday that Damascus had cooperated only reluctantly.

Syria has dominated Lebanese politics for decades. Hariri's assassination led to street protests and Syria's eventual withdrawal of troops, but the council is still pushing for Damascus to end all involvement in Lebanon's affairs.

The draft resolution's co-sponsors have faced resistance from other council members, who want a softer tone against Syria and have questioned the costs of expanding the probe to include other killings.

Reflecting that pressure, the new draft circulated Wednesday toned down some criticism of Syria. For example, language that Syira "attempted to hinder the investigation internally and procedurally" was deleted.

The French and American ambassadors cast the changes as more technical than anything else.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the important thing was that the probe would provide immediate assistance to Lebanese authorities investigating Tueni's death.

He said the resolution would also maintain the pressure on Syria to cooperate.

"You have to try and distinguish between changes in language that don't have real significance and those that do," Bolton said. "I think simply trying to accomodate some of those concerns isn't going to fundamentally change the message to Syria" that it must cooperate.

Council members support a six-month extension of the investigation, which Lebanon requested. The resolution would also ask Annan to consult with Lebanon about the tribunal to try suspects in Hariri's killing and clarify what sort of assistance the government wants.