In December, 5 members of the Japanese Red Army, who...

In December, 5 members of the Japanese Red Army, who are in prison for forging residency permits and for illegal residence in Lebanon, are wanted by the Japanese government on terrorism charges and could face death sentences if extradited to Japan. Kozo Okamoto, 51, was the only Red Army member to survive his group's 1972 attack at Israel's Lod Airport in which 26 people were killed. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in Israel but was freed along with 1,150 Palestinians in a swap for Israeli soldiers in 1985. Masao Adachi, 59, was the topmost Middle East leader of the underground movement that closely coordinated with Palestinian guerrilla groups. The other prisoners are Kazuo Tohira, 46, Haro Wako, 50, and Mariko Yamamoto, 59 - the only woman among the five. Japan, which does not have an extradition agreement with Lebanon, has informally sought the extradition of the 5 since they were arrested in Lebanon on February 15, 1997. But Beirut has turned down Tokyo's request because Lebanese law stipulates that they must first serve their sentences before any extradition demand can be examined. Lebanon may find putting the 5 on trial on Japanese charges a way to delay the extradition. Beirut fears that if it rejects the extradition request, Japan will terminate its investments and loans there. The extradition would anger many Lebanese officials and citizens, who say the 5 are sympathetic to the Arab cause and deserve asylum.