U.S. Orders Evacuation Of Embassies In Lebanon
Though the evacuation warning does not directly mention Syria, the evacuation has reportedly been under consideration since President Barack Obama said last week he was considering military action against Bashar al-Assad's regime for their use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. The warning does mention potential threats from Hezbollah, an ally of Assad, and incidents that have spilled over from Syria into Lebanon, such as shelling of villages near the Syrian border.
Shortly after the State Department's announcement, protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy near Beirut. The protesters held signs opposing a potential war against Syria, such as one that read, "The American Embassy is an operations room for the war on Syria." Riot police were called in, but the protest remained nonviolent.
Read the statement from the U.S. State Department
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