US blacklists former Lebanese information minister

(AP) The Obama administration is blacklisting former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha, who is accused of plotting a wave of bombings in Lebanon at Syria's behest.

The departments of State and Treasury said Monday that Samaha has been added to a list of specially designated global terrorists for trying to incite sectarian violence and undermine Lebanon's sovereignty. The designation freezes any assets Samaha may have in U.S. jurisdictions and bans Americans from doing business with him.

Samaha was arrested by Lebanese authorities in August and has been charged with conspiring with a Syrian intelligence officer to kill political and religious figures in targeted bombings and transporting explosives to carry out the attacks.