U.N. faults Syria, Lebanon security

UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (UPI) -- The U.N. mission looking into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri blames Syria and Lebanon for a lack of security.

The report Thursday put the blame on no one entity but said "an international independent investigation would be necessary to find the truth."

The head of the mission, Peter Fitzgerald, deputy commissioner of the Irish police, handed the report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan who endorsed the recommendations and sent it on to members of the Security Council.

"The Mission's view is that the Lebanese security services and the Syrian military intelligence bear the primary responsibility for the lack of security, protection, law and order in Lebanon," the report concluded, adding the Lebanese security forces "severely failed to provide the citizens of Lebanon an acceptable level of security."

However, the 19-page report said, "It is also the mission's view that the government of Syria bears primary responsibility for the political tension that preceded the assassination."