Sinioura expects extension of UN investigation on Hariri assassination

The Lebanese prime minister Fouad Sinioura expected that the UN investigation committee in charge of investigating the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri will extend its mission until mid December.

Sinioura said in statements to the press that he believes that the chairman of the committee Detlev Mehlis will take the necessary measures to extend his mission which ends on October 25th, but he did not explain the reason why the committee will ask for time extension.

The UN Security Council extended the mission given to the investigation committee, to submit its report over the assassination of al-Hariri for three months, and it allowed another extension for other three months.

UN officials refused to comment on this issue, but diplomats said that the committee has to go back to the meeting of the UN Security Council on October 25th in order to decide on the extension of its mission. In this regard, sources at Beirut's airport said that the UN prosecutor Mehlis left Beirut, knows not his destination nor the date set for his return back to Beirut.

The Lebanese prime minister said that Mehlis will leave Lebanon on Monday to formulate his final report.