Lebanon refuses to help U.S.
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, September 24, 2001
NICOSIA Ñ Lebanon has ruled out helping the United States in the
fight against terrorism.
Lebanese officials said the government in Beirut has agreed that it will
not relay information on those living in the country, Middle East Newsline reported. In addition, the
officials said, Beirut will not extradite Lebanese residents believed by the
United States to be involved in terrorism.
The United States has asked the Lebanese government to hand over at
least 40 suspected terrorists, many of them from the Iranian-sponsored
Hizbullah group, Lebanese sources said. The Al Muharer weekly said one name
is Imad Mughniyeh, said to have been responsible for the 1984 kidnapping and
death of CIA station chief William Buckley.
"Our position is that there is absolutely no way that we could agree on
considering the resistance and those who resisted Israel as terrorists,"
Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said. "I hope the United States
and others would consider this Lebanese position."
Aridi told Lebanese television on Saturday that so far the United States
has not submitted a list of names to Beirut. Other Lebanese officials said
Washington has not threatened to attack insurgency bases in Lebanon.
Hizbullah spiritual leader Sheik Mohammed Fadlallah also ruled out
Lebanese
support to the United States. Fadlallah said Washington wants to use any
campaign against Bin Laden as a pretext to attack the Palestinians.
"Why should we be asked to support the United States, which extends
unlimited support for Israel's war of annihilation against the Palestinians
and makes no effort to save the Palestinians from Israeli terrorism?"
Fadlallah asked.
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