U.S. Government Continues Internal Security Forces Training

In July and early August, the U.S. Government trained twenty four members of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) Mobile Forces Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams in advanced crisis response.  The course, which took place in the United States, enhanced the ISF Mobile Forces skills in resolving high risk terrorist activities and hostage situations while employing the minimum amount of force to protect human life and limit collateral damage.  This training course is part of the Anti-terrorism Assistance (ATA) program, designed to enhance the ISF’s capabilities and capacity to detect, deter, counter, and investigate terrorist activities, and is part of the U.S. Government’s overall assistance to Lebanon... (more)

U.S. Government Continues to Support Education in Northern Lebanon

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon Mission Director Denise A. Herbol attended a foundation stone-placing ceremony at the Homeira Public School near the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp. In the Akkar region, USAID will sponsor the expansion of the Homeira public school to accommodate the increasing student population.  This $136,000 USAID-funded project is to build an annex for more classrooms, a laboratory, a library, and an indoor sports court.  The annex will provide space for an additional 150 students and will create jobs for eight new teachers... (more)

U.S. Government Partners with Citibank to Commit $40 Million to Lebanon’s Byblos Bank

Ambassador Michele J. Sison, along with Dr. Francois Bassil, Chairman of Byblos Bank and Walter Siouffi, General Manager for Citibank in Lebanon, announced today that the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has signed a new $40 million, 15-year term loan facility with Byblos Bank, under a risk-sharing agreement with Citibank to support loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, individual mortgages and consumer finance programs in Lebanon.  OPIC assists U.S. businesses with overseas investments, fosters economic development in new and emerging markets, and complements the private sector by managing risks associated with foreign direct investment...(more)

Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) in the United States - Deadline September 14, 2009

The U.S. Embassy invites teachers and graduate students of English to apply for the 2010 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program.   This fellowship offers teachers and graduate students, aged 21 to 29, an opportunity to study teaching methodology and to work as Arabic language assistants for an academic year at a U.S. college or university...(more)