Mehlis report after three weeks

The chairman of the UN investigation committee in the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, Deltev Mehlis, left Beirut on Monday amid contradiction in news on whether he will ask for an extension to his mission after he submits his report to the UN Security Council on October 25th.

On Monday, the Lebanese prime minister Fouad Sinioura said that Mehlis will take necessary measures to extend his mission until December 15th.

On Tuesday, Siniuora recalled, according to the Lebanese daily al-Nahar that the UN investigator can not submit his report and just go "since the final decision goes to the Lebanese judiciary."

Sinioura considered that "Lebanon is still in need of the UN umbrella in order to complete the implementation of the resolution, especially if there is a need to an international (UN) court (regarding this matter)."

However, the spokesman for the UN secretary general Steven De Jark said that the UN was notified of the extension request for Mehlis's mission who is still in the process of formulating his report.