UN Report: Syrians Killed Former PM Hariri

Maybe the UN is not entirely useless. The Mehlis Report (PDF file) on the assasination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri is certain to make things uncomfortable for Syrian despot Bashar Assad. The WaPost quotes the report as stating that the terrorist act that took the life of Hariri and 22 others "could not have been taken without the approval of top-ranked Syrian security officials and could not have been further organized without the collusion of their counterparts in the Lebanese security forces." Among those implicated is Assad's brother-in-law.

Now that we have the report what is next? Mehlis says that the probe must continue and Kofi has extended his mandate until December 15. The report stresses that Lebanon will require international support to bring the assasins to justice, something that Michael Young mentioned yesterday in his op-ed in the Daily Star (Lebanon). The normally astute Young also accuses John Bolton of leaking a deal that would have forced Assad to turn over the conspirators, end Syria's efforts to destabilize both Lebanon and Iraq and cut off Palestinian extremists who won't settle with Israel. Why Bolton would want to "scuttle" a deal that would bring us that much closer to resolving two of our most pressing issues in the MidEast (and perhaps the globe) is beyond my understanding.

Speaking of Bolton Mehlis will be appearing before the Security Council on Tuesday. Condi and Chirac have apparently been speaking about how to go from here in regards to resolutions. There is also another report on Syria expected next week. As CSM reports Syria may already be feeling the heat. An insurgent recently arrested in Iraq may have been expelled from Syrian.