WASHINGTON
(AP) -- The State Department on Friday ordered nonessential U.S.
diplomats to leave Lebanon due to security concerns as the Obama
administration and Congress debate military strikes on neighboring
Syria.
In a new travel warning for Lebanon,
the department said it had instructed nonessential staffers to leave
Beirut and urged private American citizens to depart Lebanon.
The
step had been under consideration since last week when President Barack
Obama said he was contemplating military action against the Syrian
government for its alleged chemical weapons attack last month that the
administration said killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus.
"The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains," the department said.
"Lebanese
government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for
citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly.
Access to borders, airports, roads, and seaports can be interrupted with
little or no warning," the statement said. "Public demonstrations occur
frequently with little warning and have the potential to become
violent. Family, neighborhood, or sectarian disputes often escalate
quickly and can lead to gunfire or other violence with little or no
warning.
"The ability of U.S. government
personnel to reach travelers or provide emergency services may be
severely limited," the department cautioned.
Deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said, "We will continue to assess the situation and to adjust our security posture accordingly.":
The
U.S. closed 19 embassies and consulates across Africa and the Middle
East last month for more than a week after a terrorist threat.
Hezbollah, an Assad ally that has sent fighters into Syria, is based in
Lebanon.
The department also said that
Hezbollah "maintains a strong presence in parts of the southern suburbs
of Beirut, portions of the Bekaa Valley and areas in South Lebanon."
"The
situation remains tense, and sporadic violence involving Hezbollah or
other extremist or criminal organizations remains a possibility in many
areas of the country," it said.
"The U.S.
Embassy advises U.S. citizens that clashes between Lebanese authorities
and criminal elements have also recently occurred in other areas of the
Bekaa and border regions," the statement said.
In
a separate advisory for Turkey, the department advocated a policy of
voluntary withdrawal of people, saying that its diplomatic outpost in
Adana "has been authorized to draw down its non-emergency staff and
family members because of threats against U.S. government facilities and
personnel." The department said it was recommending that U.S. citizens
"defer non-essential travel" to southeastern Turkey.
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