US cancels entry visa for Junblat
Lebanon-USA, Politics, 11/20/2003

The American embassy in Beirut cancelled an entry visa to the USA to the Druze leader and member of Parliament Walid Junblat because he had expressed his regret that the US under secretary of defense, Paul Wolfowitz, had survived an attack that targeted him in October in Baghdad.

Junblat stressed he had received a message from the US embassy in Beirut notifying him of the visa cancelation he had and was valid until the year 2007. Junblat refused to comment on this measure.

The text of the message explained that the US withdrew the visa, according to a law to prevent visa permits to any foreigner supporting terrorist activities or urge others to do it.

Sources at the American embassy abstained from commenting and a source confined to saying that the "embassy always follows up legal steps in visa issues." The American embassy in Beirut had asked the Lebanese government to denounce Junblat's statements about Wolfwitz's survival from the attack which targeted him on October 26th in al-Rasheed hotel in Baghdad, describing the American official as a "virus" that should be gotten rid off. However, the Lebanese government has not responded to the embassy's request.

Then, the American embassy considered that "such observations do not only encourage terrorism, rather work for provoking for future attacks," against officials in the American government.

Previous Stories:
  Hizbullah prevents American diplomats from entering an area in the south   (10/18/2003)
  Lahoud conferred with US ambassador on developments   (10/11/2003)
  On te US request to Lebanon to freeze Hamas assets   (9/22/2003)

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