US cautions citizens against visiting Lebanon

WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday reminded US citizens of the dangers of traveling to Lebanon, recalling the killing of an American missionary in Sidon and the bombing of three fast-food restaurants in November.
“The increase in tensions in the Middle East has prompted a dramatic rise in anti-US rhetoric and public sentiment,” the US State Department said in a travel warning.
“Recent incidents in Lebanon, such as bombings directed at US franchises and the murder of a US citizen in Sidon, underscore the need for American citizens to be cautious and take sound personal security precautions,” it said.
But the advice ­ that Americans “exercise caution” if traveling to Lebanon ­ was identical to that in the last US travel warning for Lebanon, issued in April.
The missionary, Bonnie Penner Witherall, was shot dead  on Nov. 21. Her evangelical church center had received warnings from groups opposed to US policies in the region.
The bombings were at two Pizza Hut outlets and a Winners fast-food restaurant on Nov. 12. There were the latest in a series of bombings that began in May.
Authorities have yet to identify any of the culprits.
The travel warning also mentioned anti-US “demonstrations and spontaneous protests, sometimes violent, in Palestinian refugee camps, most major cities, and near the US Embassy and United Nations headquarters.”
The warning also recalled that Americans were the targets of “numerous terrorist attacks” during Lebanon’s civil war.
“The perpetrators of these attacks are still present in Lebanon and retain the ability to act,” the statement said.
It added that the border with Israel had been “quieter in recent months,” but warned that “Hizbullah and Palestinian militant activity there could increase without warning.” ­ With agencies