UN team starts investigations in the Hariri assassination

UN investigators, members of the fact finding commission which arrived in Lebanon, promised ultimate neutrality in the investigations to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri. The crime has provoked demonstrations of protest against the Lebanese government and the Syrian authorities.

The chairman of the Irish team Peter Gerald started his investigations by meeting with the Lebanese officials. He said he is looking forward to work closely with the authorities and to be briefed with their steps into the investigations, noting that he will not hesitate to talk with others who might help completing the investigations.

He refused to give any details on the course of the investigations to the press in Beirut, but explained he has realized the seriousness of the investigation he makes. He also indicated he will submit a report on the results of this investigation to the UN Security Council within four weeks.

The UN investigators, they are three, visited on Friday the site of the assignation where Hariri was killed together with other 14 persons two weeks before.

The Lebanese government is persistent to lead the investigation in order to disclose the implications of the incident which took place on February 14, but on the other hand, agreed to cooperate with the UN team, and the Irish government composed the team according to the request of the UN secretary general Kofi Annan.