US Embassy in Beirut Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Bombing, Offers $7 Million Reward for Hezbollah Leader Information

The US Ambassador to Beirut, Dorothy Shea, said that “Hezbollah’s efforts to break us have failed,” stressing that “no one can break the determination that we all share to work together, take care of each other, and support a better future for the Lebanese people.”
Shea’s statement came during the embassy’s commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of the bombing of its building in Beirut on April 18 (April) 1983, when it was subjected to a suicide attack that killed 63 people, including 52 Lebanese and American employees.
The embassy statement pointed out, “The families of the victims joined Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Deputy Chief of Mission Michaels, and the family of the embassy in honoring the men and women who lost their lives in this attack, expressing their appreciation, and paying respect to their families and loved ones.”
“Forty years after the suicide attack, the United States remains committed to its efforts to defeat terrorists wherever they may be found,” the statement said. The embassy affirmed that “the American people will never forget those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace, the promotion of human rights, and the advancement of fundamental freedoms.”
Ambassador Shea laid a wreath at the memorial at the US Embassy, ​​which is engraved with the phrase “They came in peace.” Deputy Chief of Mission Michaels also laid a wreath at the original location of the embassy in Ain Mreisseh in Beirut. Members of the embassy family recited the name of each victim, remembered their services, and honored their sacrifices.
And Shea indicated, “We served with our Lebanese colleagues in difficult times, and during the challenging circumstances that Lebanon faces today.” She turned to the Americans by saying: “When you made the decision to serve here in Lebanon, and to join this community, you undoubtedly took into account the attacks that This embassy faced it, and you chose to say yes.
She added, “We remember our colleagues, relatives and friends who lost their lives in the embassy bombing on April 18, 1983. We are gathered here as a way to fill the terrible void that remained in the lives of their families and friends and in our society.”
And she emphasized, “Those who took the decision to violently assassinate 63 innocent people and injure the family of our embassy have belittled us. They did not understand that the bonds we all share remain strong, despite the fear and intimidation that others may try to instill in us.
Shea added, “Let us show, through our continued commitment to this community and these common goals, that in its efforts to break us, (Hezbollah) has failed.” No one can break the resolve we all share to work together, look after each other, and support a better future for the Lebanese people. Our bond is stronger than the steel and cement of any building, and we can withstand our enemies and persevere together in the darkest of times.
She emphasized that the American and Lebanese peoples “have the strength and will to continue moving towards a better, brighter and more peaceful future.”
On the anniversary of the US embassy bombing, the US State Department announced yesterday a reward of up to seven million dollars for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the suspect in the bombing, Ibrahim Aqil, a leader in Hezbollah. It added that Aqil, also known as Tahseen, works for the Jihad Council, which is the military wing of Hezbollah. The announcement of this award came on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut by Hezbollah.