The ambassador to Lebanon, Francis E. Meloy, was so new to his post that he didn’t even have a chance to present his credentials to Lebanon’s president before his untimely death. On his way to that meeting, as his car crossed the “Green Line” demarcating the Muslim and Christian areas of Beirut, Meloy, his aide and their driver were kidnapped. They were shot to death and the three bodies were later found wrapped in bloody blankets and dumped on a sidewalk in a Palestinian area of the capital. While rumors circulated about the killers, and members of Palestinian and Lebanese groups were arrested and charged, no one was ever convicted. Meloy was a long-time diplomat who had also served as ambassador to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.