US Embassy in Beirut aims to establish stable diplomatic relations between the countries of US and Lebanon.
The present Ambassador in the US Embassy in Beirut is Jeffrey D. Feltman. He was appointed in this position on the 22nd of July, 2004. He also served as the Chief of Mission at the Embassy on the 20th of August, 2004.
US Embassy in Beirut: A brief History
The foundation stones of the US Embassy in Beirut were laid in the year 1833. It was established in Lebanon with the aim of encouraging inter-cultural exchange between the two nations. Education and religion were the focal points of the US Embassy’s operations in Lebanon.
The foreign relations between the two countries, United States and Beirut turned sour in the year 1917 after relationship between the Ottoman Empire and United States broke off. Prior to the declaration of the independence of Lebanon, George Wadsworth, the foreign relation delegate representing the United States in Lebanon and Syria was given the charge of legislating the two countries. He was stationed in Beirut and had a team of six diplomats working under him. The delegation was given the status of an Embassy in the year 1952 and Harold Minor was appointed the first US ambassador of Lebanon.
Aims of the US Embassy in Beirut
The US Embassy in Beirut emerged as one of the largest in the Middle East by the end of 1960. Some of the main aims of the US Embassy in Beirut included:
- Establishing diplomatic relations
- Establishing educational institutes and cultural centers in various parts of the city. The Embassy also endorsed English teaching and Arabic publication programs. The establishment of the John F. Kennedy Cultural Center was another important aspect of the
|
cultural exchange programs of the United States. The Lebanese American University was established in the year 1835 and the American University of Beirut was set up in the year 1866.
US Embassy in Beirut: Functions
After the civil war of Lebanon which took place between 1975 to 1990 and a series of attacks on the US embassy in Lebanon in the consecutive years of 1983 and 1984, the US Embassy operations in the country were discontinued. During this period of unrest, US Ambassador Meloy was assassinated and hundreds of diplomats were injured and killed.
In the year 1990, the US Embassy in Beirut was re-established, after which the Embassy operations got a new dimension. The steps that were taken to level the relations between the two countries included:
- The removal of limitations on the use of American passport in Lebanon by the Secretary of State
- Assigning of a Public Affairs officer in the year 1999
- Expansive services to the Lebanese visa applicants and the US citizens
- Establishment of the US and Foreign Commercial Service in the US Consulate in Lebanon
US Embassy in Beirut: Departments
The various departments in the US Embassy of Beirut include:
- Public Diplomacy
- U.S. Commercial Service
- USAID
- Defense Attaché Office
|
