Red Cross May Leave Lebanon Unless Worker Is Freed
The International Red Cross, which has helped free kidnap victims in Lebanon, said on Friday it may stop its work in the strife-torn country and leave unless an abducted Swiss official is released.
Three masked gunmen seized Peter Winkler, chief representative of the international organization in southern Lebanon, on Thursday near the Ein el Hilwa Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, 25 miles south of Beirut.
No group has claimed responsibility. Indeed, a few specifically denied being involved.
Mohsen Jamal, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the decision to end operations “has not been taken, but it is not excluded.”
Appeal for Release
The Red Cross appealed for the release of Winkler, 32, and called on rival groups in Lebanon to respect its neutrality in the 13-year civil war.
“The ICRC could only fulfill its task by staying away from all sorts of pressures, whatever their source. It’s only at this price that the ICRC can continue to work in favor of all victims of the conflict,” it said in a statement.
The organization employs 31 Swiss and 100 Lebanese in Lebanon providing medical services in poor areas. Delegates have also mediated for the release of prisoners and kidnap victims.
In Sidon, ICRC officials met militia leaders and Palestinian guerrilla officials to seek help in freeing Winkler.
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