The US Department of Justice has opposed the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese militant who was sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders of a US military attache and an Israeli diplomat in Paris. The Department of Justice argued that releasing Abdallah would be a destabilizing influence in an already volatile region and would give rise to severe public disorder. Requests for his release have been rejected and annulled eight times, but a Paris court in November granted his release on condition that he leaves France and not return. The case is currently under appeal, with judges due to give their ruling on February 20.