Hizbullah Partisans Besiege Sison and Stone her Motorcade
Hizbullah partisans besieged U.S. Charge d”Affaires Michele Sison during a visit to the southern town of Nabatiyeh and hurled rocks at her motorcade while chanting the party”s favored slogan "death to America."
Sison, on a tour of south Lebanon, was meeting deputy head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Bitar in Nabatiyeh to discuss economic and development projects of interest to the region and its citizens when Hizbullah partisans besieged the venue.
As the Hizbullah partisans chanted "death to America, death to Israel," Sison”s bodyguards decided to evacuate the top U.S. diplomat in Lebanon fearing she might be attacked.
However Hizbullah partisans chased Sison”s motorcade as the vehicles tried to leave Bitar”s residence, tried to block its way and hurled rocks at it, reliable sources said.
Officials held contacts that allowed Sison”s motorcade to leave the region safely, they added.
The U.S. Embassy, in a statement responding to questions by reporters, said Sison had "a very productive day in Nabatiyeh. She started the morning at the Municipality of Habbouch before heading to the Women Progress Association.
"She also visited the Nabatiyeh School for Girls and the Kamel Yousef Jaber Social Center, which houses the American Corner and USAID”s Office of Transition Initiatives project."
The statement said Sison concluded her visit with "an enjoyable lunch hosted by a family in Nabatiyeh."
However, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Sison”s motorcade was attacked by a rock-hurling crowd chanting "death to America."
The report said one of the vehicles in Sison”s motorcade, a Ford, was knocked out and towed to police parking in Nabatiyeh and later to Beirut.