Massive US embassy in Lebanon sparks controversy due to its sheer opulence and size

A massive US embassy complex in Lebanon has stirred controversy due to its sheer opulence and size. According to CNN, the luxurious consulate is attracting criticism since nearly 80% of the population is under the poverty line. As per the American news outlet, the embassy is located some 13 kilometres from the centre of Beirut and is built on the site of the current embassy. The consulate located in the Beirut Suburb of Awkar gained prominence for almost two-and-a-half times the size of the White House. 

Many Lebanese and people around the world questioned why the county needs such a large embassy in the Lebanese capital. While Lebanon has a stable population of Lebanese-Americans, few people travel to the country since the State Department has placed it on the third highest travel advisory level. Some netizens are even calling it a military base garbed into an embassy. “Let's just call it what it is, it's a military battle station, a forward operating base, from where the biggest terrorist organization in the world can plot and execute their terror operations. A massive new US embassy complex in a tiny Middle East nation…,” one Twitter user exclaimed.  “𝐐. 𝐖𝐇𝐘?! The new US embassy in Lebanon is about 90,000 square meters of buildings, & 120,000 square meters of open spaces? 𝐀. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞, It's a military base under the cover of an 'embassy',” another user wrote on Twitter. 

The embassy with a swimming pool 

The computerised image shared by the embassy showcases an ultra-modern compound, which hosts a multi-story building and even a swimming pool. The compound includes staff housing and looks like a city in itself. The sheer opulence of the infrastructure came as a shock since the pandemic and the 2020 Beirut blast have left the economy high and dry. According to CNN, the construction of the building has reportedly cost a whopping $1 billion. The plans were announced back in 2015 and its construction is overseen by the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO). The entity is responsible for overseeing the construction of multiple embassies around the world. 

The US had long and turbulent relations with Lebanon. The country is home to the Iran-backed organisation Hezbollah which has scarred relations with the US. The month of April marked 40 years since the 1983 bombing of the American embassy in Beirut. The blast led to the death of 63 people which included 52 Lebanese civilians.