Lee Glendinning

Friday July 21, 2006

Two British journalists were recovering in Beirut last night after being attacked by a mob which surrounded their car for almost an hour, smashing windows and trying to force them out.

The journalists from GMTV, and their Lebanese interpreter and driver were rescued when two men thought to be Hizbullah officials pushed through the crowd, grabbed them and drove them to a safe house, television colleagues said.

GMTV's roaming correspondent Richard Gaisford and producer Dave Mason were driving back to their hotel after reporting in western Beirut when a crowd began to follow them. "Richard said he had been surrounded in the car with the windows smashed and the keys taken," a television colleague said. Mr Gaisford had said he had feared for his life.

The Hizbullah officials took them to a safe house where they were interrogated before the police were called.
They received a personal apology from the Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora, which was interrupted when a phone call came through from Kofi Annan.

Source: The Guardian

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