A Canadian prosecutor heading a U.N. investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri asked the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday for more time to pursue leads in the case.Although the investigation was making steady progress, prosecutor Daniel Bellemare told the U.N. Security Council that there would be no indictments issued in the immediate future. Last year the council authorized a special tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 murder of Hariri once the investigation is complete. Bellemare said the tribunal was being set up but gave no indication of when it would commence work.
Bellemare asked the council to consider extending the mandate of his investigation for six more months once it expires on June 15 while the tribunal is being established. "The reason why I need more time is that the investigation is not completed," he told reporters after the council session. "We know the identity of some people (involved in the killing) but there is still work to be done in that regard."