France wants to expand Hariri murder probe

The move came shortly after UN chief investigator Detlev Mehlis said the UN investigation of Hariri's slaying might take "another year or two" because of the slow pace of Syrian cooperation.

The French resolution was significant because the mandate for the Mehlis commission of inquiry into the Hariri assassination expires on Thursday.

The resolution followed the latest attack against a Damascus critic in Lebanon, Monday's car bombing in Beirut which killed prominent anti-Syrian lawmaker Gibran Tueni.

The Tueni killing prompted Lebanon to call for an international tribunal for the Hariri murder and an international probe into a dozen bombings that targeted anti-Syrian critics over the past year.

The French draft resolution, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, says the 15-member council decides to extend the mandate of the UN commission until June 15, 2006, and to extend it further if recommended by the commission and requested by the Lebanese government.

It also expands the mandate to "include investigations on the terrorist attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since October 1, 2004 ... and calls on all member states and parties to cooperate fully with the Lebanese authorities and the commission in this regard."

It directs the commission to report to the council on the progress of the inquiry every two months, "including on the cooperation received from the Syrian authorities".

It also expresses deep concern at findings by the Mehlis commission that

Syria failed to provide "full and unconditional cooperation" with the Hariri probe as demanded by UN resolution 1636 adopted last October 31.