UN Council Extends Probe Into Killing

Un Council Extends Mandate Of Commission Probing Killing Of Former Lebanese Premier

Expressing its willingness to continue to assist <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=110&Body=Leban&Body1=">Lebanon in the search for the truth surrounding the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others, the United Nations Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/sc8749.doc.htm">extended for one year the mandate of the international commission probing the deadly 2005 car bomb attack.

Coming just a day after the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) reported considerable progress into the probe, the 15-member Council voted unanimously for the extension until 15 June 2007 that had been called for among others by the Prime Minister of Lebanon.

In the resolution, the Council reaffirmed its strongest condemnation of the 14 February 2005 terrorist bombing, as well as of all other attacks in Lebanon since October 2004, and reaffirming also that those involved in these attacks must be held accountable for their crimes.”

The Council also supported the Commission's intention to extend further technical assistance to the Lebanese authorities regarding their investigations into the other terrorist attacks in Lebanon since 1 October 2004, and also requested the Secretary-General to provide the IIIC with the resources needed for this.

In his detailed report yesterday to the Security Council on the investigation into the killings, the head of the Commission Serge Brammertz, said the fundamental building blocks for the investigation into the crime” were now largely understood and provide the basis for investigative progress with regard to those who perpetrated the crime.”

UNIIIC was established by the Security Council in April 2005 after an earlier UN mission found Lebanon's own investigation seriously flawed and Syria primarily responsible for the political tension preceding Mr. Hariri's murder.

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