By Hadi Khatib
Lebanonwire staff

During Thursday’s Cabinet session, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora made the final touches on the preparations for an international tribunal that will listen to witnesses and reports on the murder probe of former premier Rafiq Hariri, as UN lead investigator Serge Brammertz heads to Syria and then New York to announce his findings at the UN headquarters.

Speaking to reporters, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said that Siniora emphasized the need to continue Lebanon’s national dialogue as of next Monday hoping the participants reach consensus over a number of issues.

Al-Balad daily said the Cabinet approved a number of items on its agenda, including assigning deputy secretary general of the foreign ministry Ambassador Butros Asaker and Lebanon’s Ambassador in Mexico Nohad Mahmoud with the task of going to New York and following up on the tribunal at the Security Council.

Aridi said that Siniora had also announced the completion of the official paper outlining Lebanon’s reform agenda for the “Beirut 1” donor conference, which will be submitted to Cabinet for discussion and approval, but not before a group representing the European Union had a chance to review its content.

The daily said Justice Minister Charles Rizk had informed the Cabinet that judges Ralph Riachi and Chukri Sader came back from New York with a report outlining the progress made on forming the tribunal and added that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will review all the preliminary data before calling on the Security Council to issue a memorandum requesting approval from the Lebanese government on the final formula before proceeding with the trial.

The daily said that the tribunal would require the approval of both the Cabinet and Parliament since it involves an agreement with the UN.

Meanwhile the daily said Brammertz’s investigation is proceeding forward with a cloak and dagger approach to remove any chance at raising suspicions about attempts at damaging the integrity of the probe, and thus avoiding the scrutiny that former lead investigator Detlev Mehlis was subjected to.

The daily reported that Brammertz will head to New York to present his findings before the UN Security Council in mid March, but not before swinging to Damascus this Friday. An-Nahar daily said Brammertz will report on his findings on March 15th or 16th at the latest and reported sources telling it that the UN investigator will arrive to Damascus “very very soon.”

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