An employee walks on newspapers after protesters attacked the office of
Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al Awsat in Beirut, Lebanon, April 1, 2016.

Gulfnews Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer Following tensions that arose after a trained group of
rioters stormed Al Sharq Al Awsat’s Beirut offices — to protest a
cartoon deemed insulting to Lebanon — fresh threats against the Saudi
ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri, prompted the chancellery to adopt
new security measures.

According to the generally well-informed
Al Nahar daily, extra measures were adopted to what are strictly
enforced access limitations on Bliss Street, near the American
University of Beirut. Imposing stone barriers that are manned by the
Internal Security Forces prevent any vehicle from approaching the
embassy building, and visitors are screened via airport-style scanners,
before they can gain access to inner grounds. A large vacant lot next to
the embassy, a former parking lot, is permanently closed to prevent
potential car bombings.

Although most of security measures around
the Saudi Embassy were imposed after the chancellery moved from the
Raouche district a few years ago, recent tensions between Lebanon and
Gulf states added to current woes, with no end in sight to reactions and
counter-reactions. On Friday, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television
news channel closed its office in the capital citing security reasons,
even if no palpable threats were reported against the network.

Wary
Lebanese are seriously concerned that lack of a formal apology from
Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil — following his abstention during an Arab
League vote that condemned the torching of the Saudi embassy in Tehran
last January — will further widen the gulf that separates Beirut from
GCC capitals.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is expected to meet with
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in Turkey to patch things up,
although his wish to embark on a GCC tour failed to materialise.

For
now, Riyadh and its GCC partners have identified the Iran-backed
Hezbollah party as a terrorist organisation, which complicates matters
for the Lebanese. Despite severe measures taken against Beirut,
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah continues virulent
criticisms of the Kingdom and all GCC States that is deemed
unacceptable. Many fear manipulated protesters can attack GCC-owned
facilities, torch them and, worse, injure of kill residents.