US evacuates non-essential staff from Beirut mission
US evacuates non-essential staff from Beirut mission
(AFP) – 9 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — The United States Friday was evacuating non-essential staff from its Beirut embassy, and urging Americans to avoid all travel to Lebanon as well as southern Turkey as it mulls strikes in neighboring Syria.
"The Department of State has ordered a drawdown of non-emergency US government personnel and family members in Beirut, Lebanon and approved the drawdown of non-emergency personnel and family members who wish to leave Adana, Turkey," deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
The evacuations came as the United States has been trying to build support for US military strikes on the Syrian regime in retaliation for its alleged use of chemical weapons during an August 21 attack in a Damascus suburb.
The decision had been made due to "current tensions in the region, as well as potential threats to US government facilities and personnel," Harf said in a statement.
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