WARDEN MESSAGE (02/13/2008)

WARDENS:  Transmission of the following announcement by telephone is not mandatory.

EXPLOSION IN KAFER SOSEH

At approximately 2240 hours local on February 12, an explosion occurred in Kafer Soseh, approximately 600 meters east of the Cham City Center in an open square / parking area set among several apartment blocks.  Imad Moughniyeh, a senior Hezbollah operative, was killed.  The U.S. Embassy is unaware of any additional threat to American Citizens in Syria resulting from this incident but will continue to monitor the situation.

DEFERRING NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TO LEBANON

This Thursday, February 14, will mark the third anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri; several Lebanese leaders have called for a large rally to be held in Martyr's Square in central Beirut in remembrance.  It is also believed that the funeral of Imad Moughniyeh will be held in Beirut on the same day and is likely to draw large crowds.
U.S. Embassy Damascus encourages American citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon over the coming days.
For more information from U.S. Embassy Beirut and to see the full text of Beirut's Warden Message, please consult the following website:
http://lebanon.usembassy.gov

For the latest security information, Americans should regularly monitor the Department's web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Americans living or traveling in Syria are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Damascus through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Syria. Americans in Syria without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Damascus.