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U.S. tightens embassy security in Lebanon and Turkey, warns Americans
Reuters – 29 mins ago
An activist holds up a placard, which reads: "You will be defeated. This is your destiny", during a sit-in near the U.S. embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, against potential U.S. …more strikes on Syria September 6, 2013. U.S. officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of Lebanon on Friday "due to threats," the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in statement. The picture on the bottom right of the placard shows a scene from the 1983 suicide bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut
The United States tightened security at diplomatic missions in Lebanon and Turkey on Friday because of potential threats, ordering personnel out of Lebanon and offering to evacuate those in Adana in southeastern Turkey.
The State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey and urged Americans in the rest of Turkey "to be alert to the potential for violence."
Officials did not offer specifics about the threats, which were revealed less than a week before the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and amid an intensifying U.S. debate over President Barack Obama's plans to strike Syria.
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These are potential threats," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters after the warnings were issued.
"Obviously, the tension ... in the region, including in Syria, plays a role in this," Harf said. She said she was not aware of any specific threats to either post.
The official warnings did not mention Syria, where Washington says troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a poison gas attack that killed more than 1,400 people in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on August 21.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday the United States had intercepted an order from an Iranian official instructing militants in Iraq to attack U.S. interests in Baghdad if the United States launches a military strike in Syria, a close ally of Iran.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was a likely target, according to unidentified American officials quoted by the newspaper. The State Department and the CIA declined to comment on the report.
In Lebanon, officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of the country "due to threats," the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in statement.
The State Department urged "U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns."
In Turkey, U.S. officials offered voluntary evacuation to reduce its diplomatic presence at the consulate in Adana, Turkey, "because of threats against U.S. government facilities and personnel." Adana is near the border with Syria.
"The Consulate General in Adana has been authorized to draw down its non-emergency staff and family members," the State Department said in a statement.
It also recommended "that U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to southeastern Turkey.".....snip~
U.S. tightens embassy security in Lebanon and Turkey, warns Americans