Investigator of al-Hariri assassination seeks more time

The spokesman for the UN in Beirut, Najib Freiji, said that the team which is investigating the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri will ask for extending his mission which expires this week.

Freiji said that the chief of investigators, the German Detlive Meles, who will submit his temporary report next Thursday to the UN Security Council will ask for "extra weeks" to complete his investigation in which 50 persons are taking part.

He added that the report will include "vast aspects of the investigation which is in its advanced phase," considering that Meles is looking forward to Syria's cooperation to complete it, and he is confident that "this will be very useful." However, one western diplomat expected the report not to tackle any results nor recommendations.

The UN had decided to dispatch investigation teams to Lebanon for a three months period, renewable mission, after a fact finding mission led by the Irish Peter Fitzgerald concluded that the investigation carried out by the Lebanese authorities was improperly done.