A United Nations investigation headed by German
prosecutor Detlev Mehlis has identified political and military leaders as
suspects in the Hariri assassination, Western diplomatic sources said.
The report, relayed on Thursday to UN
secretary-general Kofi Annan, determined that leading Syrian and Lebanese
intelligence officers lied to UN investigators and could be subject to
prosecution.
The UN investigation would also examine the purported
suicide of Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan, a major suspect in the
Hariri killing, Middle East Newsline reported. Kanaan's family was said to have accused the Assad regime of
killing Kanaan to prevent him from cooperating with the Mehlis probe.
"The UN could end up declaring leading members of the Syrian and
Lebanese governments as criminals sought for prosecution," a diplomat said.
"In Lebanon, this will probably lead to the resignation of the remaining
pro-Syrian politicians or army officers. In Syria, it could mean severe
tension in the Assad regime, which fears the exposure of its intelligence
network."
Mehlis's report urged that over the next few weeks leading Syrian
intelligence officers, including Assad's brother-in-law Assaf Shawkat,
undergo UN interrogation outside of their country. The interim report also
identified a Palestinian insurgency leader harbored by Syria as a leading
suspect in the Hariri killing.
"If the investigation is to be completed, it is essential that the
government of Syria fully cooperate with the investigating authorities,
including by allowing for interviews to be held outside Syria and for
interviewees not to be accompanied by Syrian officials," the report said.
"Many leads point directly towards Syrian security officials as being
involved with the assassination," the report added.
The report, without naming Shawkat, said the Syrian military
intelligence chief forced a man to tape a claim of responsibility 15 days
before Hariri's assassination. The tape was broadcast on Qatar's A-Jazeera
satellite television a day after Hariri was killed. UN sources said an
earlier draft of the report named Shawkat.
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, head of the nation's military and
intelligence agencies, was also linked in the plot against Hariri. UN
investigators said the president's inner circle decreased Hariri's security
detail and knew of the route of his convoy on the day it was bombed.
The report concluded that four Lebanese generals, now in detention in
Beirut, helped plan the Hariri assassination. The Lebanese generals were
also said to have coordinated with Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh, then head of Syrian
intelligence in Lebanon.
"Gen. Jamil Al Sayyed, according to the witness, cooperated closely with
Gen. Mustapha Hamdan and Gen. Raymond Azar in the preparation of the
assassination of Mr. Hariri," the report said. "He also coordinated with
Gen. Ghazali — and, among others, people from Mr. Ahmed Jibril in Lebanon."
"Gen. Hamdan and Gen. Azar provided logistical support, providing money,
telephones, cars, walkie-talkies, pagers, weapons, ID-cards etc," the report
continued. "Those who knew of the crime in advance were among others, Nasser
Kandil and Gen. Ali Al-Hajj."
The UN identified Jibril, commander of the Syrian-sponsored Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, as one of the
plotters. Jibril, financed by Iran, has been based in Damascus and maintains
military bases in eastern and central Lebanon.
Another leading suspect in the Hariri assassination was identified as
Ahmad Abdel Al. Abdel Al, a Lebanese Sunni Muslim cleric, has been leading
figure in the Association of Islamic Philanthropic Projects, or Al Ahbash.
"It does not appear that any other figure is as linked to all the
various aspects of this investigation as Abdel Al," the report said. "Abdel
Al has been in frequent contact with Mahmoud Abdel Al, his brother, who is
also active in Al Ahbash. Mahmoud Abdel Al's telephone calls on 14 February
are also interesting: he made a call minutes before the blast, at 1247 hrs,
to the mobile phone of
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and at 1249 hrs had contact with Raymond
Azar's mobile telephone."
Based on testimony from 400 Lebanese and Syrians, the report said Hariri
was threatened by Syrian President Bashar Assad in late 2004. The report
said Assad was angered over Hariri's opposition to a constitutional
amendment that would grant Lahoud another term in office.
"If you think that [French] President [Jacques] Chirac and you are going
to run Lebanon, you are mistaken," the report quoted Assad as telling
Hariri. "It is not going to happen. President Lahoud is me. Whatever I tell
him, he follows suit. This extension [of Lahoud's term] is to happen or else
I will break Lebanon over your head and [Druse leader] Walid Jumblat's. So,
you either do as you are told or we will get you and your family wherever
you are."
The 54-page report detailed the evasions and lies by leading Lebanese
and Syrian security and intelligence officers. Ghazaleh, Syrian Foreign
Minister Farouk A-Shaara as well as Assad adviser Walid Mualem were said to
have provided false statements to UN investigators regarding their meetings
with Hariri.
"After an initial read, the results are clearly troubling and will
require further discussion with the international community," U.S. envoy to
the UN John Bolton said.
In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, Annan said he
plans to extend the mandate of the investigatory commission until Dec. 15.
Annan said the extension was requested by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad
Siniora.
The diplomats said Lebanon and Syria were bracing for a storm over the
next few weeks as the Security Council considers additional resolutions
against Damascus. The diplomats said they expect a wave of Syrian-aligned
attacks in Lebanon in a campaign to intimidate the Siniora government.
"There are many in the [Assad] leadership who believe that Siniora as
well as any other Lebanese politician could be cowed into calling for the
suspension of the UN investigation," a diplomat said. "The Syrians could be
expected to do whatever it takes to destabilize Lebanon to achieve their
goals."