Approval of resolution against Syria expected

? The United States, France and Britain said Friday that they were confident the U.N. Security Council will adopt a tough resolution demanding Syria’s cooperation in the investigation into the assassination of Lebanon’s former prime minister. But Russia and Algeria oppose its threat of sanctions.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said he expects the resolution to be put to a vote at a ministerial meeting of the Security Council on Monday. Foreign ministers from 13 of the 15 council nations are expected to attend, Bolton said.

The draft resolution – co-sponsored by the United States, France and Britain – strongly backs a report by the U.N. investigating commission that implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the assassination of Rafik Hariri and accused Syria of not cooperating fully with the probe.

The latest draft would require Syria to detain anyone the U.N. investigators consider a suspect and allow the investigators to determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned. It would freeze the assets and impose a travel ban on anyone identified as a suspect by the commission.