U.S. embassy limits staff movement after Beirut bomb

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Lebanon has restricted its staff movements and urged Americans to avoid popular areas, a day after a bomb damaged a U.S. diplomatic car and killed three people in a Christian suburb north of Beirut.

The bomb blast coincided with President George W. Bush's week-long tour to the Middle East and political conflict in Lebanon between the U.S.-backed governing coalition and the Damascus-backed opposition.

"The Embassy ... reminds all Americans residing in Lebanon to maintain a high level of vigilance, especially when planning travel," the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon said on its Web site in a statement dated on Tuesday.

"Americans are also advised to avoid popular gathering spots and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement officials," it said, adding limits had been imposed on embassy personnel's movements.

The attack, a 20-minute drive from the heavily fortified U.S. embassy, revived memories of attacks on U.S. personnel in Lebanon during the 1975-1990 civil war.

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said it appeared that the U.S. embassy car had been the intended target of the attack.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States did not know who was responsible but "preliminary evidence would indicate that it (the car) was targeted".

A joint diplomatic and security team, including the FBI, was travelling to the area on Wednesday to investigate, he added.

In Beirut, security sources said investigators were draining water from a blast crater to find remnants of Tuesday's bomb, which also wounded 16 people, including an embassy driver.

Lebanese internal security forces said the explosion had been cause by about 20 kg (44 lb) of TNT explosives placed in a Honda car.

The United States is the anti-Syrian majority's most influential backer in its political battle with the Hezbollah-led opposition.

The conflict has paralysed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government for more than a year and blocked the election of army chief General Michel Suleiman as president, leaving Lebanon with no head of state for the first time since the civil war.

Arab League chief Amr Moussa arrived in Beirut on Wednesday seeking to push the rival leaders towards agreement on an Arab initiative to end the political crisis.

(Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Jon Boyle)