Americans leave Beirut after threats

American nationals received threats from unidentified people to leave the country immediately.

United States citizens resident of Beirut received calls asking them "to leave Lebanon or else face the consequences."

Teachers at the American University of Beirut and the American Community School as well as employees at local firms were surprised to hear such calls.

Several of them have overtly opposed a US war on Iraq and have signed a petition in which they regretted that their government was behaving as such.

"Who has an interest in forcing the Americans to evict Lebanon? Who has an interest in bombing American food chains? It should certainly be Lebanon's enemies," said an American student at AUB who preferred to remain anonymous.

Asked whether he would be leaving Lebanon, the student said that he had not made his opinion yet.

"I will consult a few friends and probably security people. If they tell me I will still be safe by staying in Beirut, I will not leave," he said.

Lebanon, famous for the kidnapping of foreign nationals during its civil war, became safe for international residents after the end of the war in 1990.