Damascus asked to let UN probe Kanaan's suicide
The UN investigator probing the murder of Lebanons former premier has asked Damascus for permission to widen his inquiry into this weeks death of Syrias interior minister, a key witness, a newspaper reported yesterday.
The news came as Lebanons interior minister reportedly said authorities had taken measures similar to a state of emergency ahead of the publication of the UN report into the February 14 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.
Quoting Lebanese security sources, the As-Safir daily said German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis had officially asked Syria to authorise him to inquire into this suicide and to carry out an autopsy on General Ghazi Kanaan.
Syrian authorities said Kanaan shot himself in the mouth with his personal revolver at his Damascus office.
But some Lebanese papers, including one belonging to the Hariri family, have questioned Syrias official version. Sceptics say Kanaan may have been murdered to keep him from revealing what he may have known about the case.
Last month, the Mehlis commission interviewed Kanaan, along with a number of other Syrian officials. Mehlis is due to submit his report to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Lebanese officials on October 21.
Kanaan headed Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon for 20 years and was Syrias virtual viceroy there. He was found dead in his Damascus office on Wednesday.
The murder of Hariri in a massive Beirut bomb blast, that also killed 20 others, has been widely blamed on Lebanons neighbour and longtime powerbroker, Syria. Damascus has roundly denied the allegations.
In reaction to the domestic and international outcry that followed the murder, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April, and said that it had also pulled out all of its security agents.
However, there have been a number of deadly bombings and attempted murders of anti-Syrian figures since then, and the government fears that more might be in the offing.
Four current and former senior Lebanese security officials have already been detained in connection with the Hariri investigation.
Reacting to fears that the Mehlis report could spark new violence, Interior Minister Hassen Sabeh was quoted in Lebanons An-Nahar daily as saying we have taken steps similar to those of a state of emergency in order to deal with any possible repercussions.Ó
It is normal to expect that the report will spark political and security reactions whatever its content.
Sabeh did not say what measures had been taken, but police and troops have increased patrols in the capital and surrounding area.
In a separate development, an official said yesterday that Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora would travel to Paris tomorrow for talks with French and UN officials on the future status of homegrown and Palestinian militias in his country.
Siniora will also meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who will be in the French capital as part of a wider European tour.
His talks with UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen will focus on steps taken to implement Security Council Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004.
It was aimed at ending Syrian domination of Lebanon and extending the governments authority throughout the country.
source:AFP
The news came as Lebanons interior minister reportedly said authorities had taken measures similar to a state of emergency ahead of the publication of the UN report into the February 14 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.
Quoting Lebanese security sources, the As-Safir daily said German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis had officially asked Syria to authorise him to inquire into this suicide and to carry out an autopsy on General Ghazi Kanaan.
Syrian authorities said Kanaan shot himself in the mouth with his personal revolver at his Damascus office.
But some Lebanese papers, including one belonging to the Hariri family, have questioned Syrias official version. Sceptics say Kanaan may have been murdered to keep him from revealing what he may have known about the case.
Last month, the Mehlis commission interviewed Kanaan, along with a number of other Syrian officials. Mehlis is due to submit his report to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Lebanese officials on October 21.
Kanaan headed Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon for 20 years and was Syrias virtual viceroy there. He was found dead in his Damascus office on Wednesday.
The murder of Hariri in a massive Beirut bomb blast, that also killed 20 others, has been widely blamed on Lebanons neighbour and longtime powerbroker, Syria. Damascus has roundly denied the allegations.
In reaction to the domestic and international outcry that followed the murder, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April, and said that it had also pulled out all of its security agents.
However, there have been a number of deadly bombings and attempted murders of anti-Syrian figures since then, and the government fears that more might be in the offing.
Four current and former senior Lebanese security officials have already been detained in connection with the Hariri investigation.
Reacting to fears that the Mehlis report could spark new violence, Interior Minister Hassen Sabeh was quoted in Lebanons An-Nahar daily as saying we have taken steps similar to those of a state of emergency in order to deal with any possible repercussions.Ó
It is normal to expect that the report will spark political and security reactions whatever its content.
Sabeh did not say what measures had been taken, but police and troops have increased patrols in the capital and surrounding area.
In a separate development, an official said yesterday that Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora would travel to Paris tomorrow for talks with French and UN officials on the future status of homegrown and Palestinian militias in his country.
Siniora will also meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who will be in the French capital as part of a wider European tour.
His talks with UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen will focus on steps taken to implement Security Council Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004.
It was aimed at ending Syrian domination of Lebanon and extending the governments authority throughout the country.
source:AFP
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