'Devastating Cover Up'? No No, Israel did it, Not Syria... WRONG

U.N. Investigators Reportedly Revealing 'Devastating Cover Up' in Hariri's MurderA United Nations investigation into the death of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri will report that Lebanese and Syrian authorities are behind a cover-up of evidence from the February 14 blast, The Independent newspaper said on Monday. "The U.N. investigators have become convinced that there was a cover-up of evidence at the very highest levels of the Lebanese and Syrian intelligence authorities," the British daily said. Veteran Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk, based in Beirut, quoted no sources for his report but said that members of Hariri's family had been warned the U.N. report on the death would be "devastating". The U.N. team, comprised of Irish, Egyptian and Moroccan investigators and recently joined by Swiss bomb experts, has discovered that many of the vehicles from Hariri's convoy were moved from the scene of the blast only hours after it happened, Fisk said. The Independent also published a photo of the bomb site taken 36 hours before the bombing, and suggested that a "mysterious object" seen near a drain pipe indicated that explosives could have been planted beneath the avenue. This would contradict initial reports that Hariri was killed by a car bomb, Fisk said. "If (investigators) successfully recover parts of (one remaining destroyed) vehicle, they may be able to discover the nature of the explosives," he wrote.(AFP)

Beirut, 14 Mar 05, 18:14