2005 press releases

U.S. Embassy Clarification

May 31, 2005

The Embassy of the United States of America deeply regrets that Lebanese journalists have repeated a story that has no basis in fact about the activities of U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman. At no point during the Beirut elections on Sunday did Ambassador Feltman enter a polling station or talk to people heading to, or coming from, voting. Senator Joseph Biden, Democratic Senator from the State of Delaware, visited Beirut on Saturday and Sunday. In between meetings with Lebanese officials, Senator Biden, with the cooperation of the Government of Lebanon, visited one single polling station in Ashrafieh. While Ambassador Feltman was with Senator Biden all day on Sunday, when Senator Biden went to the polling station, Ambassador Feltman chose to remain outside.

This is not the first time that Lebanese journalists have reported erroneously on the activities of Ambassador Feltman and other Embassy personnel. We encourage Lebanese journalists to contact the Embassy's Public Affairs Section so that their stories may, in the future, better reflect the actual facts.