BEIRUT, Lebanon – On January 15, a bomb explosion in northern Beirut killed three, two Lebanese and one Syrian, and injured over 20. However, the US State Department reports that four people died as a result of the attack. According to Lebanese security forces, the bomb was placed either behind dumpsters next to a main road or packed into a stolen car on the road. It is thought that the target of the bombing was an US embassy vehicle that was passing the bomb as it exploded. While armored, the vehicle did not have any embassy markings and had Lebanese license plates.
The explosion occurred after the US embassy vehicle had passed and the car following it, carrying the two Lebanese nationals, was hit. The Syrian national was riding a scooter close by. The driver of the US embassy vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries and the sole passenger, a non-American, sustained no injuries. Lebanese security forces state that the unmarked car was scouting the road in security preparations for a ceremony for the outgoing US ambassador. One American was injured in the attack; however, he is not affiliated with the US embassy.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stated that preliminary evidence indicated that the car was the target. According to McCormack, evidence supporting this conclusion includes the type of car (an SUV), the location – a road frequently used by American diplomats – and the lack of other potential targets in the area. This is the first attack directed against US personnel in Lebanon since the end of the Lebanese civil war. In the 1980s, US military barracks and the embassy were targets of attacks. However, no individual or organization has claimed responsibility for the attack so the intended target remains unstated.
Following the explosion, Lebanese police and US embassy security personnel cordoned the area to begin investigations. McCormack stated that a joint diplomatic and security team, including the FBI, will investigate the attack.
Lebanese and US officials have condemned the attack. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the US was outraged “against the terrorist attack” and that “the United States will, of course, not be deterred in its efforts to help the Lebanese people, to help the democratic forces in Lebanon, to help Lebanon resist force and interference in their affairs.”
Lebanese officials condemned the attack as an attack against Lebanese security and stability. Hezbollah also condemned the attack since it was on Lebanese territory and killed innocent people.
This follows a January 8 explosion injuring several UN peacekeeping personnel south of Beirut.
For more information, please see:
Associated Press – US Embassy Vehicle Hit by Car Bomb – 16 January 2008
Daily Star – Three Killed by Bomb Meant for US Embassy Vehicle – 16 January 2008
Middle East Times – Lebanon US-Targeted Blast Raises Stakes – 16 January 2008
New York Times – Bomb Targets US Car in Beirut – 16 January 2008
Reuters – US Car in Beirut Seems to Have Been Target – 16 January 2008
Telegraph – Beirut Attack on US Embassy Car Kills Three – 16 January 2008
BBC – Four Killed in Beirut Explosion – 15 January 2008
BBC – Bomb Strikes UN Patrol in Lebanon – 8 January 2008