In a possible sign that a military strike by the United States against Syria may be a foregone conclusion the State Department evacuated all nonemergency diplomatic personnel out of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Friday, according to the Washington Post.
The State Department also said that nonessential diplomats and their families stationed at the American Consulate in Adana, Turkey, may head back to the U.S. if they choose to do so, although they were not ordered to evacuate. The diplomatic posts will remain open although with limited function, according to the New York Times.
American citizens were also warned not to travel within the area because of the increased tension.
President Barack Obama is currently trying to rally support for a limited strike against the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad after the alleged use of chemical weapons in an attack that killed over 1,400 people. The concern is that if the United States attacks Syria allies of the Assad regime, such as Hezbollah, could retaliate against American interests in the region, according to the New York Times.
"The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains," a statement from the U.S. Embassy said. "Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. Access to border, airports, roads and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning. Public demonstrations occur frequently with little warning and have the potential to become violent."
As a potential strike is debated among Congressional leaders in the United States the emphasis tends on making sure that the strike is limited in scale, the last thing most legislators want is another war. The resolution that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday gives the military a 60 day window within which to operate. The resolution also bans the United States from putting troops on the ground.
The talk of a limited attack has the leader of the Free Syrian Army, Gen. Salim Idriss, skeptical that an attack by the United States will be "powerful and effective" enough to prevent further chemical attacks. Idriss believes that if the United States gets involved militarily they should do so in a manner that evens the playing field between the rebels and Assad, not to simply fire a couple of missiles that barely effect the overall war, according to the Washington Post.
