Algeria protests place on US terror watchlist

Algeria, Lebanon express concern over US security measures against their citizens.

• ALGIERS – Algeria’s foreign ministry said it had summoned the US ambassador on Monday to “strongly protest” the North African country’s placing on a 14-nation terror watchlist drawn up by the Obama administration.
• Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci called in US Ambassador David D Pearce to protest the “unfortunate, unjustified and discriminatory” measure, a foreign ministry statement said.
• Algeria said it had already protested, through “our central administration as well as our ambassador in Washington” over the measures, which subjects travellers from Algeria and other countries on the watchlist to special checks before they are allowed to enter the US.
• The watchlist is part of new US security measures drawn up President Barack Obama’s government following a young Nigerian’s botched Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US airliner over Detroit.
• There are currently no direct flights between Algeria and the United States, and most Algerians transit through Paris.
• Meanwhile, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman voiced concern on Friday about the US decision to tighten security measures for airline passengers traveling from Lebanon.
• Sleiman made the remarks during talks with visiting US congressman Alcee Hastings, a Democrat and co-chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a statement from the president’s office said.
• Sleiman told Hastings “of his concerns over the security measures announced by the United States” and said he has tasked Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington monitor the situation, the statement said.
• “Lebanon enjoys a climate of stability and has shown that it is capable of combating terrorism,” the statement added.
• The countries targeted by the new measures include Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. They also apply to passengers traveling from or via Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria.
• On Tuesday Cuba lodged a formal protest against the US screening rules.