The World - News from March 12, 1987

The U.S. government has seized the passport of the leader of an Arab-American organization who traveled to Lebanon in defiance of an official ban, Administration officials said. The passport of Mohammed T. Mehdi, secretary general of the New York-based National Council of Islamic Affairs, was confiscated by customs officials at Newark airport. Mehdi, who traveled to Lebanon last month in a bid to negotiate the release of American hostages, said he plans to ignore the ban and continue his group’s mission. Mehdi says the ban is unconstitutional and doesn’t apply to humanitarian trips.