Gen. Antoine Lehad who commands the Israel-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), confirmed Thursday that he is holding 200 suspected terrorists prisoner in the south Lebanon security zone and defended his refusal to permit representatives of the International Red Cross to visit them.
Lehad said that 75 percent of the prisoners belong to the extremist Shiite Moslem Hezbollah group, said to be influenced by Iran. They are being held at the El-Hiam prison which the Israel Defense Force used for detainees before its withdrawal from Lebanon a year ago.
Lehad said he banned visits by the IRC because other groups in Lebanon impose such bans. He added however that no visits would be permitted until the whereabouts of the three SLA soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah are made known.
He said he occasionally allowed prisoners visits by family members who live outside the security zone. Lehad said he recently freed 42 prisoners in honor of the Moslem holiday of Id-El-Fitr. Lehad is a Christian Lebanese.
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