There was a «distinct lack of commitment» in the investigation of tragic death of Lebanese opposition leader Rafik Hariri and other 16 people in the center of Beirut on February 14, according to the report issued by the UN.

"Clearly, Mr. Hariri’s assassination took place on the backdrop of his power struggle with Syria, regardless of who carried out the assassination and with what aim," was said in the report issued Thursday.

The investigation led by deputy Irish police commissioner Peter Fitzgerald showed that the probe of the assassination that pulled thousands of Lebanese to the streets with the demand to stop Syria’s invasion to Lebanon was not carried out «in accordance with acceptable international standards.»

Lebanese pro-Syrian authorities that led the investigation denied the negligence during the probe. "We think that things were going on well in Lebanon until a certain development that has taken place here in this building when one, two countries pushed the council to adopt a resolution that was not called for," said Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad calling the report a bit «rhetoric».