Syria mulls UN request to question officials on Hariri killing

Syria is mulling a UN request to question six officials involved in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, a foreign ministry source told Xinhua on Monday.

The request was made by chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis, the source said.

Previous reports said the officials to be questioned included Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat.

On Sunday, Bashali Kanfani, director of the Foreign Media Department of the Foreign Ministry, said Syria would consider and deal with possible proposals over the investigation proceedings Mehlis might make.

"Syria will allow the UN investigators to question any Syrians they want to, including those they have questioned," she said, adding that Mehlis would receive cooperation from the special judicial committee on the case.

An interim report presented by Mehlis on Oct. 20 implicated Syrian and Lebanese officials in the killing of Hariri in a car bomb blast in Beirut on Feb. 14.

Syria has denied any involvement in the incident and dismissed the report as politically motivated.

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding Syria fully cooperate with the UN investigation or face possible "further action".

Source: Xinhua