Mr. Hariri's son, Saad, leader of Lebanon's largest parliamentary block, says that an international court is needed, to follow up on the information contained in the U.N. report by German investigator Detlev Mehlis. The report pointed to the involvement of top Lebanese and Syrian officials in the assassination of his father, the former prime minister of Lebanon.

"We want the guilty parties to be judged before an internatonal tribunal," he insisted, "because the report of the U.N. inquiry is just the first step in uncovering the truth and for justice to prevail."

German investigator Detlev Mehlis (l) hands U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan the report on the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri

Mr. Hariri also thanked the international community and fellow Arab states for demanding that the U.N. investigate his father's killing, in the first place.

Other top Lebanese political figures also joined the chorus of voices demanding the establishment of an international tribunal.

Parliamentarian Ibrahim Kenaan, who is a member of a popular Christian reform party, suggested that such a tribunal was now indispensable.

"After Judge Mehlis revealed the strong probability of non-Lebanese parties being involved in the crime," he said, "an international court is needed, and we back that demand."

Meanwhile, the Lebanese government is debating steps needed to preserve stability in the country, following publication of the Mehlis report.