BEIRUT: An under-construction gigantic new US embassy building in Lebanon, where over 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, is drawing criticism for its sheer size and extravagance.
The US’s new complex in Lebanon appears like a city unto itself and is situated around 13 kilometres (about 8 miles) from the centre of Beirut. It was constructed at the location of the present embassy, CNN said.
Sprawling over a 43-acre site, the embassy complex in the Beirut suburb of Awkar is almost two-and-a-half times the size of the White House’s land and has more than 21 soccer fields.
Many Lebanese on Twitter questioned the need for such a sizable US embassy in their nation’s capital. There are just six million people living in Lebanon, a country smaller than Connecticut. Although the State Department has rated the nation as having the third highest level of travel advisories, many Lebanese Americans live there.
“Did the US move to Lebanon?” tweeted a social media activist Sandy.
In response to the criticism of the new facility’s size, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Abed A Ayoub tweeted, “Maybe you’ll have enough room to work on all those pending visa applications.”
An ultra-modern facility with multi-story buildings with tall glass windows, leisure spaces, and a swimming pool surrounded by vegetation and offering views of the Lebanese capital is depicted in computer-generated graphics presented by the embassy. According to the project website, the facility contains a chancery, staff housing, community amenities, and related support buildings.
Lebanon has seen several catastrophes, ranging from the epidemic to the 2020 Beirut bombing, that have destroyed its economy. Many Lebanese struggle to pay for essentials like food, medication, and power.
Another user tweeted, “Let them eat concrete.”
The embassy complex’s plans were first revealed in 2015, and it is estimated to have cost $1 billion.
The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), which oversaw the construction of several other US embassies worldwide, is in charge of its construction.
CNN’s request for comment from the US embassy in Lebanon was not entertained.
The US and Lebanon have a contentious past. Although the most powerful organisation in the nation, Hezbollah, is based there and is supported by Iran, Lebanon enjoys favourable relations with the US.
The 1983 bombing of the American embassy in Beirut, which resulted in the deaths of 63 individuals, including 52 Lebanese and diplomatic staff, was commemorated last month. 299 persons were killed when a bomb detonated in October of that year in Beirut near barracks holding American and French peacekeepers.
