Israel Matzav

Your tax dollars at work: US diplomat in Lebanon attacked by Hezbullah while viewing USAID projects

The motorcade of the most senior American diplomat in Lebanon, Michele Sison, was attacked by Hezbullah thugs on Wednesday in the town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon. Ms. Sison is the United States Charge de Affaires in Lebanon, and had come to the town to visit several institutions that the United States government supports in and around the town. Curiously, the Lebanese website Naharnet gives two different versions of this story, one of which it refers to as "Washington's version." Let's start with the Lebanese version.

Hizbullah partisans besieged U.S. Charge d'Affaires Michele Sison during a visit to the southern town of Nabatiyeh and hurled rocks at her motorcade while chanting the party's favored slogan "death to America."

Sison, on a tour of south Lebanon, was meeting deputy head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Bitar in Nabatiyeh to discuss economic and development projects of interest to the region and its citizens when Hizbullah partisans besieged the venue.

As the Hizbullah partisans chanted "death to America, death to Israel," Sison's bodyguards decided to evacuate the top U.S. diplomat in Lebanon fearing she might be attacked.

However Hizbullah partisans chased Sison's motorcade as the vehicles tried to leave Bitar's residence, tried to block its way and hurled rocks at it, reliable sources said.

Officials held contacts that allowed Sison's motorcade to leave the region safely, they added.

The U.S. Embassy, in a statement responding to questions by reporters, said Sison had "a very productive day in Nabatiyeh. She started the morning at the Municipality of Habbouch before heading to the Women Progress Association.

"She also visited the Nabatiyeh School for Girls and the Kamel Yousef Jaber Social Center, which houses the American Corner and USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives project."

The statement said Sison concluded her visit with "an enjoyable lunch hosted by a family in Nabatiyeh."

The article also notes that one of the vehicles in Sison's motorcade was disabled and unable to continue. It had to be towed.

'Washington's version' notes that one of Sison's bodyguards was lightly injured and gives more details about what Sison was doing in Nabatiyeh.

[US State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom] Casey said the incident happened when one of the cars in the motorcade broke down and the charge d'affaires, Michele Sison, and the others in the group decided to stop in the village for lunch while the car was being repaired.

Sison was invited to lunch by a village family, he added.

Around a dozen individuals -- mainly young men -- "started throwing some stones at the vehicles" after the car was repaired and the motorcade prepared to depart, Casey said.

"Charge Sison was able to carry out the rest of her visit and ultimately returned back to the embassy in Beirut," he said.

She visited U.S.-sponsored initiatives and programs like a school for girls, a social center, and U.S. Agency for International Development projects, he said.

Hezbullah will be happy if the United States continues to spend its taxpayer dollars supporting Hezbullah's 'charitable work.' But please don't expect to send real live American diplomats - or anyone else - to make sure that the money is being spent appropriately.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:27 AM