UN Mum On Syrian Suicide

Speculation is rampant over the suicide (how convenient, alone in his office, no witnesses) of Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan on the eve of the release of the UN report on the assassination of Lebanon's former premier Rafik Hariri. (Good posts here and here.)

Anyone wanting information on the subject wouldn't have gotten it at yesterday's UN press briefing, which was a study in not informing:

Question: I know you don’t have any reaction to the suicide of the Syrian minister. Did he see Mr. Mehlis [the UN's lead investigator] lately, and do you see any link between that and the report that was presented by the United Nations and his taking his own life?

Spokesman: Thank you for providing me the answer to your question in your question. We have no comment on the death of the Syrian official. Whether or not he met Mr. Mehlis, as I’ve told you, I think, before, Mr. Mehlis keeps his investigation very close to his chest. We are not briefed on who he meets or when he meets them, but I’m sure all of that will become clearer when his report is released towards the end of this month.

Question: That is only an endeavour to find out so there can be a link between that. That’s the reason why it is necessary to establish whether he did meet with Mr. Mehlis or not.

Spokesman: I’ve just used all the words I can to answer your question.

Question: There are reports that Mehlis actually left Beirut and went to Cyprus in the last couple of days. Can you confirm or deny or say “I do not comment” on that?

Spokesman: You’re all welcome to come up here and answer for me.