This massive new US Embassy complex is causing controversy for its sheer size and luxury in a country where nearly 80% of the population lives below the poverty line.
The new US Embassy compound in Lebanon is located 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from the center of Beirut, and it looks like a city of its own. The White House and more than 21 football fields sit on it.
Many Lebanese on Twitter wondered why the United States needed such a large embassy in their capital. Lebanon is smaller than Connecticut and has a population of just six million. Few American tourists go to the country, as the State Department put it third on its travel advice list. But it does have a large Lebanese American population.
Computer-generated images released by the embassy show an ultra-modern complex of multi-storey buildings with tall glass windows, recreational areas and a swimming pool. Surrounded by greenery and views of the Lebanese capital, the complex includes housing, community facilities and associated support facilities, according to the project website.
Source: CNN
