Former Lebanese PM Hariri killed by 'criminals', UN claims
Rafik Hariri assassinated by "criminals", United Nations claims
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Friday, 28, Mar 2008 06:04
Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister who was assassinated in February 2005, was killed by "criminals" according to the United Nations.
A team of investigators unveiled their findings today, saying Mr Hariri had been watched by an underground surveillance network in the months leading up to his death.
No individuals have been named, although the verdict represents a departure from previous probes, which have pointed the finger at Syrian sponsored terrorists and their own intelligence services.
Damascus has strenuously denied these findings ever since they were first publicly unveiled - soon after the Beirut car bomb that killed Mr Hariri and 22 other people three years ago.
The independent investigation says the UN and Lebanon must provide greater resources in order to uncover names of the individuals directly responsible for the explosion.
And the current unstable political climate in Lebanon, caused by the distinct lack of a recognised leader and the ongoing power struggle, has also hampered the enquiries, the report adds.
According to the AFP news agency the UN panel, led by Canadian former prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, said it had uncovered its most compelling evidence to date that "a network of individuals" were responsible for the assassination.
Mr Hariri made his name as a self-made billionaire and business tycoon and was prime minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until 2004, when he resigned.