Shea says Hizbullah seeking to ‘drive a wedge’ between Lebanese people, US

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea has accused Hizbullah of seeking to “drive a wedge” between the Lebanese people and the United States, in a speech commemorating the victims of the April 1983 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

“Today is a solemn anniversary for us, as we remember the terrible attack that took 52 lives on April 18th, 1983. And in September of the following year – just over there – we lost 23 more lives,” Shea said in a speech.

“These attacks were not against the United States alone; victims included Americans, locally employed Lebanese staff, as well as Lebanese Internal Security Forces officials. For this reason, today we stand united – as we have for every year since 1983 — honoring those who lost their lives, both Americans and Lebanese, and in renewing our commitment to peace and security in Lebanon,” she added.

She also emphasized that the United States has “maintained its resolve to pursue justice for the victims.”

“We are pushing back against the negative influences of terrorist organizations like Hizbullah, which continues to seek to drive a wedge between us. But we are not daunted. We will continue to promote the bonds between our countries and peoples, particularly in these difficult times, as we try to help the Lebanese people emerge from the current economic crisis so that they can enjoy a brighter future,” the ambassador went on to say.