US tells Beirut of concern about Ahamdinejad visit

AFP  ,  Washington, Oct 5, 2010  – The United States said Tuesday it has raised its concerns with the Lebanese government about Iranian President Mahmud Ahamdinejad’s planned visit to south Lebanon later this month.
   State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Ahamdinejad’s travel plans came up when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month.
   “We expressed our concern about it (the visit) given that Iran, through its association with groups like Hezbollah, is actively undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Crowley told reporters.
   “But again, we respect that these are judgements for the Lebanese government to make,” he said.