Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and US Ambassador Dorothy Shea at the Grand Serail, September 22, 2023. (Credit: Photo Dalati and Nohra)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday condemned an attack on the US Embassy in Lebanon that took place the previous day.
Early Thursday morning, a man fired 15 shots from a Kalashnikov at the main entrance of the US Embassy in Awkar. Mikati called the attack "a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty."
US Ambassador in Lebanon Dorothy Shea said she felt "no fear" and that activities at the embassy were proceeding normally.
"We categorically reject attacks on diplomatic missions, and consider the attack on the US embassy as an attack on Lebanon's sovereignty and security," said Mikati. "The security forces are intensifying their investigations to elucidate the circumstances of the attack and identify those involved."
Rare incident
The American ambassador expressed her "gratitude for the messages of support from the country's political leaders, including the Prime Minister, as well as from various political parties and security partners," who she said were doing "everything possible to investigate this incident, prosecute the culprit and hold him accountable."
"At the embassy, we feel no fear as a result of this incident, our security measures are robust, our relationships are strong, and we continue our operations as usual," concluded Shea.
Security incidents around the US Embassy, a veritable fortress under construction covering tens of thousands of square meters, are rare. Thursday's attack coincided with the anniversary of the 1984 car bomb explosion in front of the embassy, which left 11 people dead and dozens injured.
The embassy was relocated to Awkar (Metn) following a 1983 suicide bombing in the Ain Mreisseh district of Beirut that killed over 60 people.
Shea also said she spoke to Mikati about his meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, including those with US officials.
"We both agree that the time has come, now that the situation is critical, to take decisions and relaunch the administrative work in order to implement the long-awaited reforms and turn around the Lebanese economy," she said.
Last week, the International Monetary Fund once again criticized Lebanon for its leaders' inability to implement the reforms needed to release international aid, although it welcomed the changes made by the acting governor of the Banque du Liban, Wassim Mansouri.