The potential for death or injury in Lebanon exists in particular because of the frequency of terror

ISLAMiCommentary Editor s Note: I don t usually re-post or excerpt travel warnings, but this one for Lebanon , posted today at The  Bureau of Consular Affairs website, Travel.State.Gov, hotel monaco seattle but thought it worth posting here as Lebanon has been kind of off the news radar . This warning hotel monaco seattle is extensive and includes quite a bit of background on the US State Department s take on the worsening security situation in Lebanon, including how the Syria civil war has impacted Lebanon. hotel monaco seattle Warnings posted on Travel.State.Gov this month  also include Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, El Salvador, Philippines, Colombia, hotel monaco seattle Syria and the Central African Republic.
(EXCERPT): The Department hotel monaco seattle of State urges U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of ongoing safety and security concerns. U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued on August 15, 2014.
The potential for death or injury in Lebanon exists in particular because of the frequency of terrorist bombing attacks throughout the country. Many of the attacks have targeted specific individuals or venues, but nearly all cases have resulted in death and injuries to innocent bystanders. Although there is no evidence these attacks were directed specifically at U.S. citizens at this time, there is a real possibility of wrong place, wrong time harm to U.S. citizens.
The most recent wave of bombings began in June 2013, with four bombings in Beirut and Tripoli that collectively left hundreds dead and wounded. The attacks have continued in 2014. On February 19, in an attack against the Iranian Cultural Center, two suicide bombers killed at least five and wounded over 30 in southern Beirut. On February 22, a car bomb was detonated at a check point in Hermel, killing one and wounding 14. On March 17, a car bomb exploded in the eastern Bekaa town of Nabi Othman, causing two deaths and more than 10 injuries. On June 20 a suicide bomber detonated himself at a checkpoint on the main Damascus-Beirut highway, resulting in one killed, and over 30 injured. On June 24 a suicide car bomb was detonated in southern Beirut after Lebanese authorities stopped the driver, killing two and wounding a dozen people at a nearby cafe. On June 26, a suicide bomber detonated his vest as security forces were closing in on him at a local tourist hotel in downtown Beirut, wounding three of the security forces.
Attacks now regularly involve suicide bombers. Similar incidents can occur without warning. There have been numerous reports in the media of Lebanese security forces disrupting other planned bombings. To date, Lebanese security forces have been successful against potential suicide bombers, who have often been forced to detonate their vests or vehicles hotel monaco seattle short of their targets. This practice of suicide bombers adds an additional element of unpredictability, since just avoiding potential target areas does not provide any protection from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sudden outbreaks of violence can occur at any time in the country, and major cities in Lebanon hotel monaco seattle have seen armed clashes. There are frequent armed clashes in the city of Tripoli, particularly between the neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, which have resulted in deaths and injuries. The Lebanese Armed Forces are routinely brought in to quell the violence in these situations. The Lebanese government cannot guarantee protection hotel monaco seattle for citizens or visitors to the country in the event violence should occur suddenly. Access to borders, airports, roads, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning. Public demonstrations occur frequently with little warning and have become violent in some instances. Family, neighborhood, or sectarian disputes can escalate quickly and can lead to gunfire or other violence with no warning. The ability of U.S. government personnel to reach travelers or provide emergency hotel monaco seattle services is severely limited. Demonstrators sometimes block the primary road between hotel monaco seattle downtown Beirut and Rafiq Hariri International Airport without warning. Access to the airport also may be cut off, sometimes for extended periods, hotel monaco seattle if the security situation deteriorates.
Extremist groups operate in Lebanon, including some such as Hizballah, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB), and al-Nusrah Front (ANF), that the U.S. Government has designated as terrorist organizations. ISIL and ANF have claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Lebanon, and these groups are active in north Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and in border areas with Syria. U.S. citizens have been the target of terrorist attacks in Lebanon hotel monaco seattle in the past, and the threat of anti-Western terrorist activity hotel monaco seattle remains in Lebanon. U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Lebanon despite this Travel Warning should keep a low profile, assess their personal security, and vary times and routes for all required travel.U.S. citizens also should pay close attention to their personal security at locations where Westerners generally are known to congregate, and should hotel monaco seattle avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. They should consider avoiding areas where bombings have taken place recently.The most recent Security Messages are posted on the U.S. Embassy hotel monaco seattle Beirut hotel monaco seattle website.
hotel monaco seattle Hizballah maintains a strong hotel monaco seattle presence in parts of south Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and areas in southern Lebanon. Hizballah has been the target hotel monaco seattle of attacks by other extremist groups for their support hotel monaco seattle of the Asad regime hotel monaco seattle in Syria. The potential for violence between Hizballah and other extremist groups throughout the country remains a strong possibility. Hizballah and other groups have at times detained and extensively interrogated U.S. citizens or other foreigners for political motivations.
U.S. citizens in Lebanon should monitor hotel monaco seattle ongoing political and security developments in Syria, as these often impact stability in Lebanon. The conflict in Syria has resulted in numerous security incidents in the border regions with Lebanon, as well as in other parts of the country. Over the past year, there were numerous incidents of cross-border shelling hotel monaco seattle and air strikes of Lebanese villages from Syria, which resulted in deaths and injuries, as well as reports of armed groups from Syria who kidnapped or attacked Lebanese citizens living in the border area. Clashes between Lebanese authorities and criminal elements occurred hotel monaco seattle in areas of the Bekaa Valley and border regions. Similar incidents could occur again without warning. With the potential for violence and abductions, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid the Lebanese-Syrian border region altogether.
Kidnapping, whether for ransom or political motives, remains a problem in Lebanon. Kidnappers have abducted business people under the guise of coming to Lebanon for meetings. Suspects in kidnappings hotel monaco seattle sometimes have ties to terrorist or criminal organizations. Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped U.S. citizens, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to hostage takers. U.S. law also makes it illegal to provide material support to terrorist organizations.
hotel monaco seattle The U.S. Department of State wishes to warn U.S. citizens of the risk of traveling on airlines hotel monaco seattle that fly over Syria. As we have seen in the recent past, commercial aircraft are at risk when flying over regions in conflict. We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens considering air travel overseas evaluate the route that their proposed commercial flight may take and avoid any that pass through Syrian airspace. U.S. government personnel in Lebanon have been prohibited hotel monaco seattle from taking flights that pass through Syrian airspace. Flight paths are subject to change, so you should check with your airline to try to verify your flight s route before traveling.
Rocket attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel have occurred at an increased rate, in connection with the violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. These attacks, normally consisting of a few unsophisticated rockets fired at northern Israel, often provoke hotel monaco seattle a prompt military response from Israel in the form of artillery fire. The rocket attacks and responses can occur with no warning. Skirmishes and tense exchanges between the LAF and the Israel Defense Forces along Lebanon s southern border hotel monaco seattle also may occur with no warning. Landmines and unexploded ordnance pose significant dangers throughout southern Lebanon, particularly south of the Litani River, as well as in areas of the country where fighting was intense hotel monaco seattle during the civil war. More than 40 civilians hotel monaco seattle have been killed and more than 300 injured by unexploded hotel monaco seattle ordnance remaining from the 2006 Israel-Hizballah war. Travelers should watch for posted landmine warnings and strictly avoid all areas where landmines and unexploded ordnance may be present.
Palestinian groups hostile to both the Lebanese government and the United States operate largely autonomously in different areas of the country inside refugee camps. Intra-communal violence within the camps has resulted in shootings and explosions.U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Palestinian hotel monaco seattle refugee camps.
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Tags: Abdullah Azzam Brigades , al-Nusrah Front (ANF) , Beirut , Bekaa Valley , Hermel , Hezbollah , IDF , ISIL , ISIS , kidnapping , landmines , Lebanese Armed Forces , Lebanese-Syrian border , Lebanon , Lebanon Palestinians , Palestinian refugee camps , suicide bombing , Syria , Syria civil war , Terrorism , Tripoli , US State Department
by SHALOM GOLDMAN for ISLAMiCommentary on APRIL 3, 2015:  Surve