UN Investigators Get Death Threats

The head of the UN's investigation of the Hariri assassination told the General Assembly today his team has received ... big surprise! ... death threats. From followers of the religion of peace! He said the threats were made in Lebanon, were not from "official sites," and were deemed credible.

Of Syria, he said,

"The Syrian authorities may wish to carry out on their part their own investigation into the assassination of Mr. Hariri in an open and transparent manner," he said today. "This would enable to 'fill in the gaps' and to have a clearer picture about the organizers and perpetrators of the 14 February terrorist act."

In his news conference Mr. Mehlis said he had asked the Syrian authorities to provide files of Mr. Hariri, and "the Syrian authorities told us 'well, we do not have a single document,' which, frankly speaking, I do not think is true. But what can the commission do? I cannot send 500 investigators which I don't have to Syria to look for documents because I wouldn't know where to find them.

Let alone 500 Special Forces soldiers to go in and kick some Syrian butt. That's why I've been so cynical of this investigation from Day (a very late day) One: Mehlis has no authority, no subpoena power, no Freedom Of Information Act.

"So… we expect from the Syrian authorities not to just react, but to act, to really look into the matter themselves."

As another example of the dealings with Syria, he cited Syrian intelligence chief Rustom Ghazali as telling "us he has the most friendly and personal relationship with Mr. Hariri, and then we come across these taped telephone calls where he is referring to Prime Minister Hariri as a dog. So somehow that doesn't fit and I think it would be a good idea if the Syrian authorities just would make an extra effort by themselves."

Yes, somehow it all doesn't fit. But what's the UN to do if Syria doesn't make an extra effort? They're not likely to impose sanctions so soon after the oil-for-food debacle.

So what they'll do is condemn us when we do what's needed, what the UN is afraid to do.