Armed Security For Americans In Lebanon ???

[David]

Over the last few days, I've seen on various news videos of Americans being boarded on Marine helicopters to be evacuated from Lebanon.

I've noticed that there are numerous armed security agents wearing non-military garb protecting the perimeter as these US citizens got on the helicopters. In fact, many of these guys were wearing 5.11 pants and vests.

Question: Who are these armed security agents? Military? FBI? Secret Service? Private-Contractors? Others?

I think they MIGHT be agents who work for the State Department. I remember seeing a documentary a few months ago about these federal agents who work for the Diplomatic Security Service.



Any ideas who these armed security agents might be?

 

[eab]

I think you have it right on with them being Diplomatic Security Service. I remeber seeing several pics of them awhile back providing security in Iraq and Afganistan at political meetings and stuff. Somebody had mistaken them for "Delta Boys" cause of the long hair and non reg duds.

Makes sense also if you think about it.

 

[ChestyP]

Could be DSS,

could be private security hired by the embassy (usually for external security functions), by the American University in Beirut, or some corporate entity (least likely).

Remember most of the 25,000 "Americans" living in Lebanon are dual nationals, living at home in Lebanon with a U.S. passport available as a parachute. (The number in Israel tops 100,000 IIRC.) And if you look at where the Israelis are striking, a short cab ride north to Jouniyah would put one in a safe haven. From all I have seen, the Israelis have not struck north of Beirut.

 

[hub]

id say probably blackwater security team.

 

[Fosbery]

What were they armed with?

 

[roo_ster]

Chesty hit it.

Most of the "Americans" in Lebanon are dual citizens. Actually Lebanese, they have the American passport for when things go pear-shaped in their home country.

You might have gathered I am not a fan of dual citizenship: Lebanese, Israeli, German, or others.

Once they are an adult, make the choice & live with it.

 

[ChestyP]

They're beginning to interview the evacuees

on their return to the U.S. Most, not all, that got speaking parts in front of the camera were of Lebanese origin. Another retired Marine friend commented that the biggest parasites tend to be the biggest whiners. Not these fine people, of course.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton summed it up best when he said that a ceasefire would be almost instantaneous... when Hezbollah released the kidnapped Israeli soldiers and stopped rocketing Israel and when Hamas released their kidnapped soldier.

As they continue to throw criticism at the government for it's "slow response" to the evacuation, keep in mind a couple of things: unless 6th Fleet assets happen to be on scene, it takes a few to several days to sail a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the EastMed (especially if it has to transit the Suez Canal from the Gulf region); the U.S. is under no LEGAL obligation to evacuate nationals who had entered the region voluntarily; and as I noted earlier, the Israelis have made no strikes (and are unlikely to) in the northern half of Lebanon, a perfect safe haven.

A U.N. resolution demaned disarmament and removal of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. No action taken.

The Lebanese government, and Lebanese Army, is responsible to secure it's borders and ensure outside parties are not violating Lebanese sovereignty to violate Isaraeli sovereignty. No action taken.

The intelligence community, and even the media, have documented arms being sent from Iran to Lebanon and to Syria for use by Hezbollah, which is Iranian and Syrian funded. Where are the U.N. resolutions condemning this?

List relevance: When I was in the business, all we were allowed was sidearms and M16s or shotguns for noncombatant evacuation operations (NEOs). And the State Department had hissy fits over that.

 

[mljdeckard]

Yeah, situations like these are why DSS has to be so extensive.

I have limited patience for people who want to keep both passports, live in a nation under circumstances which are risky to say the least, and then complain that the Marines can't get them out fast enough.