Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 18, 1994                   TAG: 9408110001
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FAHIM I. QUBAIN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IMPROVED SECURITY

Lebanon today is a relatively safe country - in many ways much more so than the streets of New York or Los Angeles. Despite the ban, in 1993 alone some 40,000 U.S. citizens traveled to Lebanon, and not one was hurt in any way or subjected to a hostile act.

Indeed, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Jan. 17, 1993, that it would not extend Temporary Protected Status to Lebanese nationals in this country beyond April 9, 1993, due to improved security in Lebanon. This determination contradicts the State Department's rationale for the travel ban.

The ban is no longer necessary or justified. Indeed it is harmful to U.S. citizens and to U.S. economic and political interests:

It is unfair and incomprehensible because Lebanon, with which we have had a very long history of extremely friendly relations and with which we have diplomatic relations, is singled out for retribution. By contrast, American citizens are allowed to travel to countries with which we have no diplomatic relations and which are regarded as hostile, such as Iran and North Korea, and even to countries where there are raging armed conflicts, such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, Afghanistan and Peru.

It creates undue hardships to U.S. citizens of Lebanese descent who may wish to visit relatives in Lebanon and who are prohibited from doing so because of the ban. In addition, the ban makes it impossible for anyone in the United States, including foreign nationals, to get information about flights to Lebanon. For instance, a Lebanese who is not a U.S. citizen, studying in one of our universities, is not allowed to find out how he or she can get back home to Lebanon for the summer.

It is damaging to U.S. economic interests. The Lebanese government has adopted a $13 billion reconstruction program, a $2.25 billion short-term emergency plan; and a $565 million plan to rebuild Beirut Central District. Between January 1993 and January 1994, Lebanon awarded some 100 contracts worth $2.4 billion mostly to European and Japanese companies. American companies were largely excluded from these profitable contracts because the ban prohibits their personnel from going to Lebanon. As long as the ban continues, American companies will be excluded and penalized. Some $13 billion in contracts will escape them, going instead to European and Japanese firms.

Finally, the ban is damaging to our political interests. It is perceived by many as one more sign that the United States is not sympathetic to Arab interests.

The ban on travel to Lebanon is coming up for review and possible reinstatement on Aug. 24. In a letter to the secretary of state on Feb. 4, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and Minority leader Robert Dole, as well as Democratic Sen. Claiborne Pell and Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, have urged lifting the ban, or at least reducing its status to a ``travel advisory'' that would make it legal for U.S. citizens to travel and U.S. companies do business in Lebanon at their own risk.

The travel ban on Lebanon should be ended. Its usefulness is long past, and it is now damaging in every way to U.S. interests.

Fahim I. Qubain of Buena Vista is a retired political scientist and Middle East consultant to the U.S. government.