Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued on Saturday a legislative decree to form a special judicial committee that will directly deal with investigation procedures of civil and military officials related to the mission of the independent International Investigating Committee into the killing of former Lebanon's premier, Rafic al Hariri.
Decree number 96 for 2005 says "the special judicial committee will be presided by the Attorney General of the Republic and will include membership of the Military Attorney General and a judge nominated by the Minister of Justice."
According to SANA, the decree "calls the committee to cooperate with the independent International Investigating Committee and with the Lebanese judicial authorities in all what is linked to procedures of the investigation clarified by the decree."
It noted that the Syrian committee "might be aided in executing its tasks by whom it might find suitable of military and civil judges or members of the military and civil judicial police."
