Naharnet Newsdesk - Mehlis May Stay on to January's End as the US Suggests 'a Clone of Mehlis'

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Mehlis May Stay on to January's End as the US Suggests 'a Clone of Mehlis'

Chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis has given tentative agreement to remain on the head of the Rafik Hariri assassination probe for "a reasonable transitional period" to avoid any vacuum that may result after he turns in his final report to the Security Council and then immediately resign by Dec. 15.
This was the gist of media reports from the U.N. and sources close to the Mehlis commission in Beirut after the German prosecutor left the Lebanese capital Friday to Paris.

Reports said he might re-interview Syrian witness Mohammed Zohair Siddiq, who is held in custody in France in connection with the Hariri murder. Other reports said Mehlis would then fly to Vienna to take part in interrogating the five Syrian intelligence officers expected to be flown to the Austrian capital on Monday.

Although the identity of the five is still held as a top secret by all sides, An Nahar said Saturday it has been established beyond a shred of doubt that they will include former Syrian military intelligence chief in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh and his two Beirut assistants Mohammed Khallouf and Jameh Jameh.

The Mehlis inclination to give a period of grace on his resignation has coincided with U.N. reports that the Secretary-General Kofi Annan had begun consultations with several Security Council member states on picking a Mehlis successor.

US U.N. Ambassador John Bolton urged Annan on Friday to persuade Mehlis to continue leading the Hariri probe.

Bolton told reporters "we understand he (Mehlis) has extended his tenure once and he's in dangerous personal circumstances there," he said in reference to threats made against the Berlin prosecutor.

But Bolton said the US had asked Annan to keep Mehlis in his post. If he does not agree, the U.N. should quickly name a successor. The best person for the job, Bolton quipped, would be "a clone of Mehlis."

Bolton warned a vacuum could give the Assad regime a chance to renege on pledges of full cooperation with the international investigation.

Mehlis is expected in New York December 12 to submit his final report and brief the Security Council about it in the next two days. U.N. reports have quoted Mehlis as saying his mandate could be extended for a transitional period of Jan. 2006 but beyond the end of the month.

Beirut, 03 Dec 05, 08:43


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