Bellemare Seeks Extension of Hariri Murder Probe

by **Admin** Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:34 am

Daniel
Bellemare, head of the U.N. probe into the 2005 assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was on Sunday reportedly seeking an
extension of his commission's mandate.

The
pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, citing diplomatic sources in New York, said
Bellemare has informed "several bodies" of the need to extend the
mandate of the U.N. panel to further analyze evidence before taking
over as prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The
sources, who met Bellemare in the framework of contacts with the
various representatives of U.N. Security Council member states
concerned with the Hariri murder case, said the former Canada
prosecutor was keeping his information secret.

They
said Bellemare did not say how much time he needs, except for hinting
that he would likely not be ready by mid-July, a move that requires
extension of the commission mandate.

Bellemare
said earlier this week that the priority of the inquiry is to now
gather more evidence about the "criminal network" responsible for the
massive car bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people and
determine its participants.

In
his latest report to the Security Council, Bellemare said that the
International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) has
accumulated evidence indicating that the criminal network had conducted
surveillance of Hariri before he was killed in Beirut Feb. 14, 2005.

He said that "at least part of the (so-called) Hariri network continued to exist and operate after the assassination."

Bellemare said the IIIC was also trying to establish the links between members of the network and any others outside the group.

He
is also trying tp pin down the role the network has played in other
deadly attacks against prominent figures in Lebanon in recent years.

The
U.N. commission is also continuing to pursue its investigation of the
identity of the suicide bomber in the Hariri case, drawing on forensic
information obtained and an analysis of the missing person files of
various countries to generate possible leaders. DNA profiling is being
carried out as well.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and the U.N. are taking steps to set up the tribunal to try those responsible for Hariri's killing.