February 18, 2000

Lebanese Protest US Israeli Support

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Thousands took to the streets Friday to denounce Israel and the United States as Lebanon's president threatened to deal Israel ``more painful blows'' if it carried out reprisals against Lebanese civilian targets.

The main demonstration was largely peaceful, but student demonstrators in a smaller protest outside the offices of CNN were confronted with tear gas and sprayed with water.

Government-sanctioned protests are rare in Lebanon. Friday's was the biggest protest since a 1993 demonstration against Israeli-Palestinian peace accords ended with the army killing eight protesters. The government has since banned most street demonstrations.

Jordan's King Abdullah II postponed a long-awaited visit to Israel, reflecting mounting Arab disappointment in Israel's peace policy.

Senior Jordanian government officials said Friday that Israel's attacks on south Lebanon and its deadlocked negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians have prompted the king to postpone ``indefinitely'' his planned visit, which was to have been his first since ascending to the throne a year ago.

In Beirut, more than 6,000 people marched peacefully in the early afternoon, carrying Lebanese flags and those of Hezbollah and Amal, the main guerrilla groups fighting Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon.

Men and women, many wearing Islamic headscarves, chanted ``Death to America'' and ``Death to Israel'' as the protest, guarded by several hundred policemen and army troops, made its way from the Barbir district to downtown Beirut.

``We have been trampled on enough times by the Israelis and their American friends. This is our way of saying we won't take it anymore,'' said Mohammed Saad, a 31-year-old engineer who participated in the demonstration.

The protesters burned Israeli and American flags. They shouted slogans calling on the government to expel U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield and criticizing U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who has accused Hezbollah of being responsible for the latest flare-up in southern Lebanon.

``Satterfield must go'' and ``You old hag, we can't stand your ambassador anymore,'' they shouted.

The demonstrations came amid growing anti-U.S. sentiment sparked by Washington's perceived backing of Israel in its Feb. 8 airstrikes, which destroyed three power stations and wounded at least 15 Lebanese civilians. Israel said the airstrikes were in retaliation for guerrilla attacks against Israeli soldiers in an occupied zone in southern Lebanon. Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed since Jan. 25.

President Emile Lahoud warned in a statement Friday that if Israel targets Lebanese citizens and civilian infrastructure, it would be putting its own civilians and installations at risk of attack.

``We think that our blows will be more painful in this case,'' Lahoud said.

Elsewhere in Beirut, more than 1,500 demonstrators gathered outside the offices of CNN to protest what they saw as bias in its coverage of the Israeli airstrikes. A fire engine sprayed water and police fired tear gas canisters as students scuffled with policemen. Scores were overcome by tear gas and two were treated by local medics.

CNN's Lebanon bureau chief, Brent Sadler, told The Associated Press that the students' comments were aimed mainly at CNN's Web site.

``I think it's unfair and baseless, accusing us here in Beirut of not covering the story objectively,'' he said. ``It is my opinion that we have been covering the story in a comprehensive way.''