Washington Expels Lebanese Consul in Detroit Ibrahim Chararah, Gives Him 48 Hours to Leave

The US State Department declared Lebanon's consul in Detroit, Michigan, Ibrahim Chararah, persona non grata. The Lebanese Embassy in Washington confirmed that it had officially received notice of the expulsion decision.

According to IMLebanon and MTV Lebanon, the State Department informed the Lebanese Embassy of the decision after midnight on Friday into Saturday. Chararah was given 48 hours to leave the country with his family. The decision came against the backdrop of old social media posts attributed to Chararah, in which he praises the 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut.

A State Department spokesperson told MTV that Chararah is persona non grata and that a visa is a privilege, not a right. He added: “A visa is a privilege, not a right, and there is no place in our country for anyone who celebrates or justifies terrorist attacks.” The same spokesperson told the channel: “Terrorists killed American citizens and our colleagues in bombings that targeted the US Embassy compounds in Beirut in 1983 and 1984, and we will never forget them.” He added: “The Department continuously reviews information concerning members of foreign missions accredited to the United States, including any national security concerns, and takes appropriate action in accordance with US law and international obligations.”

According to An-Nahar newspaper, the offices of Lebanon's president and prime minister were informed of the decision. The newspaper quoted informed sources in Washington as saying that Lebanese authorities have no choice but to comply with what was described as a US sovereign decision.

Sources cited by An-Nahar add another reason to the one announced by the State Department. According to these sources, Chararah tried to justify the posts by saying they dated back to previous years. The sources added that his participation in political events criticizing the Republican Party during the election period was considered bias that conflicts with consular work. The same sources say the chances of his appointment to another diplomatic mission have become very slim.

The Washington Free Beacon reported on 2 November that Chararah wrote on 23 October 2021, the anniversary of the Marine barracks bombing, that heroic resistance ended the US military occupation of Lebanon in a single blow. The same outlet, citing IMLebanon and MTV Lebanon, reported another post attributed to Chararah that refers to US forces in Syria and the Tanf base. The post read: “From the Marine barracks in Beirut to the Tanf base… we will reject the occupier and defeat him.”

According to An-Nahar, IMLebanon and MTV Lebanon, Chararah also took part in an event for the Arab American community in the Dearborn area of Michigan, supporting Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and other candidates ahead of the elections.

The bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut took place on 23 October 1983 with a truck bomb and killed 241 US servicemen, according to IMLebanon and MTV Lebanon.

In an analytical reading reported by IMLebanon and MTV Lebanon, the expulsion of the consul fits into a tougher US line toward Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran after the midterm elections. According to the same reading, Beirut fears that the move could be followed by sanctions on Lebanese figures or the deportation of Hezbollah supporters.