Lahoud told Annan changing his delegation on canceling Ragheda Durgham passport

The committee in charge of protecting Journalists which has New York as a headquarters has welcomed the decision provides for abrogating the decision of confiscating the passport of the chairperson of al-Hayat office in New York Ragheda Durgham.

The committee quoted the spokesman for the UN secretary general Fred Lock-heart that Lebanon's permanent representative at the UN Salim al-Tadmori told the UN officials on Monday that the decision to cancel the passport of Durgham was defused at the directives of the Lebanese President Emi Lahoud. The UN spokesman added that the UN chief had discussed this issue with Lahoud and the UN officials followed up this matter wit the Lebanese diplomats at the UN.

On Wednesday, the UN spokesman said that Annan " in a telephone call with the Lebanese President the canceling of Durgham's passport while accompanying the UN chief in his recent visit to Beirut." He added that the chairman of Annan's office Iqbal Rida has recently contacted Lebanon's representative at the UN for the same purpose.

The UN spokesman continued that two days before Lebanon's representative to the UN ( al-Tadmori) told Rida that President Lahoud decided to defuse the decision of canceling Durgham's passport.

Worthy mentioning al- Tadmori conveyed the oral message on Monday after he had received it on Saturday from the President palace in Lebanon. The message said that Durgham has, in her capacity as a Lebanese citizen, to abide by the Lebanese laws which do not permit meetings or contacts between Lebanese citizens and Israeli figures and officials.

Lahd's decision came after the UN chief interfered in a telephone call and in rechecking this matter. Durgham's passport was canceled while she was accompanying the UN chief. A matter which constitutes unprecedented embarrassment to the UN secretariat.