LONDON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The BBC said it regretted pulling a documentary on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, describing it as a "difficult subject".
The BBC announced it was pulling the three-part documentary "Murder in Beirut" just days before its scheduled broadcast on BBC World this weekend.
Lebanese media said unedited clips from the film were viewed as implicating Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of the political leader in downtown Beirut.
The film depicts influential leaders in Beirut, Washington, Damascus and Paris telling "the gripping inside story" of the political power struggles in the Middle East.
Christopher Mitchell, a BBC producer, told London's Guardian newspaper that the decision to postpone the broadcast was regrettable.
"'Murder in Beirut' tackles a difficult subject and everybody on the production worked hard to make sure it was as fair and accurate as possible," he told the newspaper.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is expected to issue indictments in its probe of the Hariri assassination soon. It is widely expected that Hezbollah will be tied to the slaying, though its leaders say they have evidence to suggest Israel played a role in the plot.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said last week that he would "cut off the hand" of anyone who tried to detain members of his Shiite resistance movement.
UPI
