A UN inquiry uncovered new evidence to reinforce its findings of Syrian involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, according to a report released today.
The survey by German Prosecutor Detlev Mehlis also said that Syria had been "slow" to cooperate with his investigation, contrary to Security Council resolutions, that Damascus had burned some papers on Lebanon, and that the probe had identified 19 suspects which it did not name.
Five Syrian officials questioned by UN investigators in Vienna this month were among the suspects, Mr Mehlis said.
Mr Mehlis delivered his report to the UN Security Council, which has demanded that Syria detain suspects and cooperate fully with the investigation or face "further action."
Mr Mehlis emphasised those sections of the resolution in his report. Hours before the report was delivered, a prominent lawmaker and fierce critic of Syria, Gebran Tueni, was killed in a car bomb in Beirut, along with his driver and bodyguard.
An interim report by Mr Mehlis in October implicated senior Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the murder of Mr Hariri and 22 others in a truck bombing last February 14th in Beirut.
"In the interval since the presentation of that report, the investigation has continued to develop multiple lines of inquiry which, if anything, reinforce those conclusions," Mr Mehlis said.
"The detailed information points directly at perpetrators, sponsors and organizers of an organized operation aiming at killing Mr Hariri, including the recruitment of special agents by the Lebanese and Syrian intelligence services," he said.
Syria has vigorously denied the accusations and said Mr Mehlis' probe was politically motivated. Officials in Damascus said they were still studying the new report.