Washington expels Lebanon's consul general in Detroit over social media post commemorating the 1983 attack in Beirut The U.S. State Department on Friday declared Lebanon's consul general in Detroit, Ibrahim Sharara, persona non grata and ordered his immediate departure from U.S. territory by Sunday following the discovery of an old social media post praising the actions of the Lebanese resistance. The deportation order was issued after it was reinstated in 2021 in which the Lebanese diplomat characterized the bombing of the American Marine barracks in Beirut on October 23, 1983 as an act of legitimate resistance against foreign IDF forces. The bombing operation of the military complex resulted in the death of 241 American soldiers and 58 French soldiers. The deportation of Sararas marks an unprecedented diplomatic move aimed at Lebanese representation in Michigan, home to the largest Lebanese diaspora community in the United States.

Washington expels Lebanon's consul general in Detroit over social media post commemorating the 1983 attack in Beirut The U.S. State Department on Friday declared Lebanon's consul general in Detroit, Ibrahim Sharara, persona non grata and ordered his immediate departure from U.S. territory by Sunday following the discovery of an old social media post praising the actions of the Lebanese resistance. The deportation order was issued after it was reinstated in 2021 in which the Lebanese diplomat characterized the bombing of the American Marine barracks in Beirut on October 23, 1983 as an act of legitimate resistance against foreign IDF forces. The bombing operation of the military complex resulted in the death of 241 American soldiers and 58 French soldiers. The deportation of Sararas marks an unprecedented diplomatic move aimed at Lebanese representation in Michigan, home to the largest Lebanese diaspora community in the United States.