Syria orders committee to investigate Hariri killing

Beleaguered Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered the creation of a special judicial committee yesterday to investigate the murder of a former Lebanese prime minister, as Damascus continued its scramble to ease intense and growing international pressure.

Eight days ago the UN investigation of the February 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri issued a report that linked top Syrian and Lebanese security officials to the killing and said that Damascus had been uncooperative in the probe.