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UN Investigator in Beirut to Probe Hariri Killing
 The leader of a United Nations investigation into the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri arrived in Beirut yesterday and began his inquiries with a visit to the crime scene. Veteran German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis is also due to sign an agreement with the justice ministry and meet senior officials to prepare for the probe, judicial sources said. "I'm here on a very difficult mission," he told reporters on arrival. "My team and I will work to find the truth."Mehlis arrived with four members of an overall team of around 50, which will include up to 40 investigators. The UN Security Council authorized an investigation into Hariri's Feb. 14 assassination after a UN fact-finding mission decided Lebanon's own inquiry was "seriously flawed". A UN resolution gives Mehlis three months to complete the investigation, although the Security Council can grant him an extra three months if he needs more time. Many Lebanese blamed Syria for Hariri's assassination in a truck bomb blast that killed at least 20 people in Beirut. Syria denied any involvement in the attack, which united Lebanon's disparate anti-Syrian opposition behind calls for Damascus to pull its troops and intelligence agents out of Lebanon after 29 years. The last Syrian troops left a month ago. Posted by: Fred 2005-05-27 |
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