Security Council for Talks on Hariri Death 
March 29, 2006
The New York Times
Original Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-UN-Lebanon.html

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council Wednesday called for negotiations with Lebanon on a tribunal to prosecute those charged in the assassination of the country's former prime minister.
A resolution adopted unanimously by the council welcomed Secretary-General Annan's recent report, which said a mixed Lebanese and international court should be established, probably outside Lebanon, to try supects in the Feb. 14, 2005, bombing that killed Rafik Hariri and 22 others.
A U.N. investigating team has spent nearly 10 months looking for Hariri's killers. Earlier this month, the new chief investigator, Serge Brammertz, told the council he was cautiously optimistic that new promises by Syria to cooperate after months of refusals and delays could lead to progress in the probe.
The Security Council asked Annan in a Dec. 15 resolution to help the Lebanese government identify the nature and scope of international assistance needed to try anyone charged in the terrorist attack that killed Hariri.
The new resolution requested Annan ''to negotiate an agreement with the government of Lebanon aimed at establishing a tribunal of an international character based on the highest international standards of criminal justice.''
Boutros Assaker, the acting secretary-general in Lebanon's foreign ministry, said ''the Lebanese government will spare no effort to conclude the negotiations with the secretary-general as quickly as possible.''
In his report, Annan recommended that the tribunal be established ''through an agreement concluded between Lebanese and the United Nations.''
Annan said at this stage Lebanese authorities believe that because of security concerns ''the tribunal might not be able to operate effectively in Lebanon.''