US calls for accelerating Hariri file, Damascus asks Annan's help

The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said that Syria's request to complete a cooperation agreement with the UN investigation committee into the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri aims at delaying the investigation.

This came in reaction to a message Syria had sent to the chairman of the UN Security Council, the Russian representative Andre Dnisov, the UN secretary general Kofi Annan in which it asked for their support to complete a cooperation protocol between the Syrian government and the UN investigation committee to the murder of Hariri.

About this Syrian request, Bolton said that the date of December 15, the date set to end the investigation carried out by Mehlis, is approaching and the Syrians "have to introduce the witnesses to Mehlis."

Meantime, chief speaker for the UN secretary general Steven De Garik said that the UN secretary general will not interfere in this matter and that Mehlis is the one who decides on this issue of interrogation.