Japan seeks extradition of Red Army terrorists from Syria

TOKYO [MENL] -- Japan wants Damascus to extradite suspected terrorists now being held in Lebanon, occupied by 40,000 Syrian troops.

Japanese officials have been holding talks with their Syrian counterparts for the extradition of five members of the Japanese Red Army group jailed in Lebanon. Some of them were convicted of the 1972 Lod airport massacre in Israel and later released by the Jewish state in a prisoner exchange with Palestinian groups.

In Damascus, an envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi met Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Shaara on Sunday to discuss the extradition of Japanese Red Army group. It was the first report of contacts between the two countries on the extradition issue.

Until now, Japanese diplomats restricted their appeals to Lebanese leaders.

The Kyodo News Agency said Seiichiro Noboru, chief of the Cabinet Councilor's Office on External Affairs, explained Japan's request to Lebanese authorities for the extradition. A-Shaara was noncommital, however. The agency said he expressed Syria's "understanding" of the issue.

Japanese officials said they believe the Syrians will be more willing to respond to Tokyo's appeal in wake of Damascus's expulsion of Kurdish insurgency leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1998 and U.S. pressure on Damascus to kick out Palestinian opposition groups