Three senior Irish police officers are leading a UN investigation into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.
The three, who arrived in Lebanon late yesterday, promised today to work with ‘absolute impartiality, and professionally’.
Peter Fitzgerald, Deputy Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, told reporters that the team will draw up a report within four weeks to allow UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to report back to the Security Council.
He welcomed the Lebanese government's promise to co-operate with the mission, and looked forward to working closely with the Lebanese authorities and to hearing about progress in their investigation.
Mr Fitzgerald was flanked by two other Irish police officers, Chief Supt Martin Donnellan, head of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Supt Pat Leahy, head of National Support Services.
They will be joined in the next day or two by other colleagues with expertise in law and political affairs, Mr Fitzgerald said.
The UN team started talks with Lebanese Interior Minister Suleiman Frangieh and was expected later to visit the site of the bomb blast that killed Mr Hariri and 17 others on Beirut seafront.
