US expels Lebanese consul over posts praising 1983 Beirut bombing

Dubai: The United States has ordered Lebanon's consul general in Detroit to leave the country over social media posts attributed to him that praised the 1983 bombing of US Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American military personnel.

Ibrahim Charara was declared persona non grata by the US State Department following reports that he had celebrated the attack in social media posts published in 2021.

The decision was reported on Saturday, November 7, after Lebanon's embassy in Washington received formal notification from the State Department.

A State Department spokesperson subsequently confirmed the decision, stating that Washington continuously reviewed information about foreign diplomats accredited to the United States, including potential national security concerns.

The department stressed that individuals who celebrated or justified terrorist attacks had no place in the country.

The move followed a November 2 report by the Washington Free Beacon, which uncovered social media posts attributed to Charara that portrayed the October 23, 1983, bombing as an act of resistance against the American military presence in Lebanon.

One of the posts reportedly characterised the bombing as "heroic resistance" against American forces.

However, a source close to Charara disputed his responsibility for the posts, telling Lebanese newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour that the diplomat's social media account had been hacked and that he no longer had access to it.

The source also questioned the timing of the decision, explaining that Charara had undergone security checks before receiving approval for his diplomatic appointment in April 2025.

Attack killed 241 Americans and 58 French troops

On October 23, 1983, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, where American troops were serving as part of a multinational peacekeeping force during Lebanon's civil war.

The explosion killed 241 American servicemen, including 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and three Army soldiers.

Minutes later, a second suicide bombing struck a building housing French forces, killing 58 French paratroopers. Six Lebanese civilians also died in the attacks.

The US State Department has attributed the bombing of the American barracks to Hezbollah, reiterating that assessment in a statement commemorating the attack's 40th anniversary in October 2023.

Under Article 23 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a host country may declare a foreign consular officer persona non grata, requiring the sending country to recall the official or terminate their consular duties.

If the sending country fails to act within a reasonable period, the host government may withdraw recognition of the official's consular status.

Lebanese media reported on Monday that Charara had left the United States following the expulsion decision.