Posted on 07/14/2006 1:57:35 PM PDT by Pyro7480
US tells citizens to consider leaving Lebanon
WASHINGTON - The United States has urged U.S. citizens to consider leaving Lebanon when conditions permit, the State Department said on Friday as Israel attacked Hizbollah targets and civilian installations.
But no U.S. official or American citizen has left Lebanon because there is no way to leave, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, and the U.S. government is discussing contingency plans to help Americans leave.
"Conditions permitting, we have urged American citizens to consider leaving Lebanon," McCormack told reporters.
He said the U.S. government was advising U.S. citizens in Lebanon to "assess their personal security situation" amid violence which escalated when the Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on the Israeli-Lebanese border on Wednesday.
Israeli aircraft rocketed runways at Beirut's already closed international airport and warplanes blasted the main Beirut-Damascus highway overnight, tightening an air, sea and land blockade of Lebanon.
The State Department estimates that about 25,000 U.S. citizens, including people with dual citizenship, live in Lebanon, although summer visits could expand that community.
"Right now ... from the U.S. government perspective, there aren't any ways to get out -- reliable ways to get out by air, land or sea," McCormack said.
He said if conditions allowed, some U.S. officials, nonemergency personnel and family members would leave.
"We would, as part of that planning, see how we can accommodate those American citizens who want to leave that are in the country," McCormack said.
Pentagon officials have said the U.S. military was closely monitoring the situation and has ships in the region that could be used in the event U.S. officials order an evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon.
The military has the helicopter carrier USS Iwo Jima heading a seven-ship group taking part in an exercise off the coast of Jordan, officials said.
Maybe the Israeli are not planning a full scale ground invasion until they notified U.S to allow time to plan for departure of Americans.
I saw LSSS as the reason the thread was pulled. What does that mean?
Evacuation is going to be dicey if Hez and its sisters have free run in Beirut and around.
LLSS
Loose
Lips
Sinks
Ships
Yes, it'll be interesting to see who would get caught in the cross-fire. Especially if the Americans and the British comes in trying to rescue their citizens at the same time Syria and Israel decide to duke it out in Lebanon.
I understand LLSS, but, if there is a 7 ship group steaming up and down that coast, that is hardly a secret, and it is all over CNN and FOX so I think that the cat is out of the bag........
Ya' really think, huh????????
Makes me glad that I'm happy bein' a tourist right here at home!
~GCR~
time for a cup of coffee - LLSS - loose lips sink ships
(Maybe the Israeli are not planning a full scale ground invasion until they notified U.S)
I doubt a ground invasion will happen, and if it does it won't be any time soon. Something like this takes a lot of time to plan, and I doubt that Israel was expecting to take this action. Plus they are very weary of Hezbollah which had years to prepare for an Israeli invasion.
US tells citizens to consider leaving Lebanon
You Reckin?
Does anyone know what happened with the FReeper trapped behind enemy lines.
We should extend that to Syria and Iran...just to see how much extra laundry has to be done in their palaces, mosques and governmental offices.
You might be right, there may not be a full-scale ground invasion of Lebanon. But one thing is certain, if Hezbollah is not thoroughly decimated right now, they'll rev up their attacks on Israel and if the government is seen to be passive, it will be the end of Olmert's administration and would pave the way for return of "Bibi".
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665196/posts?page=539#539
It's rebel_yell2.
Many thanks to both of you for the prompt response.
Oh...wait...I ALREADY stole THAT one...:)
Heheh, one of my FAVORITE graphics, the "seized" one...
Evacuation is always dicey, we are at war with these people even if many Americans don't understand it. Maybe the French will do it for us. They are good at running away.
ahhh, our government at work ... it wasn't the bombs and guns and bullets and collapsing buildings and fires and blackouts and panicky populace and roads filled with fleeing people and vehicles and Islamic terrorist roaming the street shooting off APG's and rockets ....
it was the State Department advisory that finally tipped us off that something may not be quite right.
I love A-10s! Think we can base them in Israel? I would prefer Buffs but our current political class lacks either the intellect or the guts to use them. Frankly Becca should be one big smoking hole right now.
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