UNITED NATIONS — Syria had few vocal supporters ahead of a Security Council vote today on a tough resolution demanding Damascus cooperate with the U.N. investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Even Security Council members concerned by some provisions of the resolution did not object to sending Syria a stern message.

The United States, France and Britain had little doubt the council would approve the resolution.

The three countries co-sponsored the resolution to follow up last week's report by a U.N. investigating commission, which implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the Feb. 14 bombing that killed Hariri and 20 others. The report also 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 let investigators determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned. It would would also freeze assets and impose a travel ban on anyone identified as a suspect by the commission.

Those provisions could pose a problem for Syrian President Bashar Assad as the suspects include his brother, Maher Assad, and his brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, the chief of military intelligence.

If Syria does not fully cooperate with the investigation, the draft says the council intends to consider "further measures," including sanctions, "to ensure compliance by Syria."

Ahead of today's vote, foreign ministers from the United States, France and Britain dined with their counterparts from Russia and China, who oppose the resolution's threat of sanctions.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Friday the resolution has the nine "yes" votes required for adoption and will likely have more by the time of the vote.

But council diplomats said that if Washington, Paris and London want to get unanimous support from all 15 council nations — which would send a more powerful message to Syria — they will have to drop the sanctions threat.

Otherwise, the resolution will likely be adopted with 12 "yes" votes and three abstentions — Russia, China, and Algeria, a non-permanent council member and its only Arab representative, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment ahead of the vote.