New Hariri investigator appointed

Mr Hariri's assassination triggered huge protests in Lebanon against Syria

An Egyptian-born Australian policeman is to head investigations for a UN special tribunal to try suspects in the killing of ex-Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.

The police officer, Nick Kaldas, is an Arabic speaker who is deputy police commissioner and counter-terrorism chief in the state of New South Wales.

In the past five years, he has also spent time in Iraq advising police and the judicial authorities there.

Mr Hariri and 22 others were killed by a massive truck bomb in Beirut in 2005.

'Major challenge'

Mr Kaldas, 51, will start work at the Dutch-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon in March next year.

He described his appointment as a "great honour".

"Working for the UN is the closest a police officer could come to representing their country, so it is a role I take on with a great sense of responsibility.

"It will be a major challenge," he told the Australian newspaper The Age.

UN investigators have said a likely motive for the killing was the role of Mr Hariri, who became a prominent critic of Syria, in support of a 2004 UN resolution demanding that Syrian and other foreign troops withdraw from Lebanon.

Mr Hariri's assassination triggered huge demonstrations in Lebanon against the Syrians.

Despite its denial of involvement, Damascus eventually bowed to international pressure, pulling out its troops after nearly 30 years of military presence.