US warns against all travel to Lebanon amid growing anti-American protest

The U.S. Department of State on Monday reiterated its advice that Americans avoid “all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns” as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Beirut in what appears to be the biggest anti-American protest to date over a U.S.-made anti-Islam online video that has sparked riots across the Middle East and beyond.

The Beirut march was called by Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Hezbollah, which the United States considers a terrorist group.

“The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains,” the travel warning states. “Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly.”

The travel warning supersedes earlier warnings against travel to the area with a stronger focus on the risks of kidnappings and political violence linked to the controversial video and the civil war in neighboring Syria. The updated warning follows reports of shelling and attacks on border areas and villages coming from Syria, and advises U.S. citizens to avoid the Lebanese-Syrian border region.

Earlier, the U.S. embassies in Indonesia and Azerbaijan warned Americans in those countries to exercise caution as anti-American protests are planned.

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