Region | Lebanon
UN Security Council votes to extend Hariri probe
The UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the international probe into the murder of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri by six months.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:31 May 3, 2009
New York: The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the international probe into the murder of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri by six months.
The UN Security Council said that a further six months was needed in order to for Syria to give "the full and unconditional co-operation" demanded of it.
Council members expressed ?extreme concern? at the lack of cooperation Syria has so far shown.
They demanded that Syria respond "unambiguously and immediately" cooperate in areas the commission found necessary.
In an interview with the BBC, chief investigator in the probe, Detlev Mehlis said that after seven months of investigation into the deaths of Hariri and 22 others it was "pretty clear that nothing of this size... could have happened without the knowledge of the intelligence agencies, the Lebanese and the Syrians".
Although Syria?s cooperation into the inquiry had improved, Mehlis said he did not expect it to continue. "At this rate the investigation might take another year or two. Cooperation in good faith should be diligent and timely,? Mehlis said.
Syria, who say the investigation is ?politicised? deny any involvement in the assassination and refute claims of slow response.
"We are fully confident that Syria is innocent," its UN ambassador, Fayssal Mekdad, told reporters. "Syria would never be behind these crimes. This is not our policy."
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