BEIRUT, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Minister of Information Tarek Mitri Tuesday requested the U.S. authority to cancel it from the recent airport security measures list.

    Mitri told a news briefing on Tuesday that Lebanese government understood any measure that any country chooses to take to enhance security in airports, however, what is under question is that citizens of Lebanon are singled out.

    The U.S. government announced earlier this month the new rules to tighten security. Under the new rules, those carrying passports from 14 listed countries -- and those traveling from or transiting through them --will be subject to full body pat downs, body scans, luggage checks and be checked for explosives.

    The 14 countries are Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

    Mitri asked the United States to give a reason about why Lebanon was on the list and requested the U.S. authority to cancel the country from the list.

    "To target a specific group of people on the basis of the passports they hold is a principle that we are uncomfortable with," said Mitri.

    "Lebanon is not a state that sponsors terrorism," he added.

    The U.S. move followed a foiled Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, to blow up a U.S. jetliner as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam.