Informed Speculation

The UN has found evidence linking Syria to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri – or has it?:

The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of Lebanon was a carefully planned terrorist act organized by Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services, according to a United Nations report made public this evening.

The report by the chief United Nations investigator, Detlev Mehlis, said, “The assassination of 14 February 2005 was carried out by a group with an extensive organization and considerable resources and capabilities.”

The report said, “There is converging evidence pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act.”

The report said that the crime had been planned “over many months” and that the movements of Mr. Hariri and the convoy he traveled in had been closely monitored with his “itineraries recorded in detail.”

Mr. Hariri died when a bomb exploded his car on a downtown Beirut street.

“Given the infiltration of Lebanese institutions and society by the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services working in tandem, it would difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge,” the report concluded.

Why all the artful dodging? Come out and say it – he was killed by the Syrians and their Lebanese puppets in Hezbollah – you know it, I know it, and the UN knows it – and furthermore, we’ve known it for some time.

I suppose this report is progress of a sort, nonetheless…now, let’s see the Syrian reaction. Should be interesting – let’s just hope there aren’t any more ’suicides’ of top intelligence officials…