7/15 Middle East Live Thread

7/14 Middle East Live Thread ^ | 7/16/06 | Various

[Solson]

I thought this could be a new thread for today. BurbankKarl's thread did well yesterday.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

GOD Bless YOU both. I don't know how I would hold up in your shoes!

Well yes I do, GOD.

[BurbankKarl]

I am listening to BBC right now...will see if anything is new at the top o' the hour

[sofaman]

it's a local call from there...

[BurbankKarl]

U.S. prepares evacuation plan for Americans in Lebanon


Concerned about the fate of Americans in Israel's siege of Lebanon, the Pentagon and State Departments are developing plans in case a mass evacuation becomes necessary, officials said Saturday.
The U.S. government was not yet formally recommending evacuation, however.

"We're at a monitoring point," said a Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros. "We're prepared to respond and provide assistance if required."

The State Department said it was considering various ways of helping Americans who wished to leave Lebanon by finding ways to transport them to Cyprus. There, they could catch commercial airline flights.

However, options for traveling to the island nation were limited, considering Israel's naval blockade of Lebanon's ports and the attacks that have left the airport in Beirut unusable.

U.S. officials declined to speculate on whether U.S. forces would provide helicopters or ships to transport people in the event of an evacuation.

The department said it had received reports that Americans fleeing overland to Syria were being denied visas and had been refused entry to the country.

[sofaman]

good man...okeydoke..

[sofaman]

Chirac: Forces threatening Lebanon`s security, sovereignty must be stopped (AP)

Someone needs to tell that weasel to go p*ss up a rope

[BurbankKarl]

BBC Five Live News

2 warships, 500 Royal Marines, headed to region, UK citizen told to stay put.

Israelis drop 100s of bombs on Lebanon....

[cookcounty]

"hat about the two members of their cabinet that are members of Hezbollah? They would have to go, but weren't they elected? Gets very complicated, doesn't it?

It's a parliamentary system. They were elected to the Parliament, not to the cabinet. They were invited into the government in exchange for who knows what( protection?). The PM is free to disinvite them anytime he pleases.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Grrrrr...kids!

[sofaman]

"An Iranian military source told the Arab daily Asharq Alawsat Sunday that between 1992 and 2005 Iran has transferred some 11,500 missiles and rockets to Hizbullah.

According to the report, Hizbullah has in its arsenal four types of advanced surface-to-surface missiles. He named the Fajaar missile, which has a range of 100 kilometers; the Iran 130, which has a 90-110 km. range; the Shahin, which has a range of up to 150 kms; and a 355 mm. Rocket with a range of up to 150 kms."

JPost

[sofaman]

"Israeli military sources warn that Hizballah is preparing to launch rockets next against Tel Aviv."

Wonderful..

[BurbankKarl]

I was watching a report on CNN Pipeline, that some of the Israeli citizens were blaming the government because rockets were raining down on them. Apparently, the bomb shelters and basements are more common up north, but not in the places that are being hit now.

[sofaman]

heading off to bed..will probably be up early tomorrow...so best I turn in now...g'night everyone...thanks for all your prayers and support...sweet dreams

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

That is going to be really really bad. I don't see this thing ending for weeks.

[Allegra]

Are our troops being put on a higher level of alert? Stay safe!

Thanks. Yes, the security is heightened, but that happens a lot around here.

It's all rather low-key and everyone is just going about their business as usual. But we're all watching the events to our west very, very closely.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Sweet dreams to you and Mrs. S!

[Allegra]

Go have some fun, and try to forget about it for a bit!

Well, we tried. We sat out on the balcony overlooking the Tigris to have a couple of beers and just cut up and forget about war for a while.

But during the course of our sitting out there, we heard two explosions and one firefight.

Oh, well...we did try. LOL

[BurbankKarl]

NEW THREAD HERE.....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1666537/posts

[defconw]

LOL.

[Coldwater Creek]

I know how you feel! We have the same problem here in Memphis, Tenn.

Firefights, explosions and unbelievable hot and humid weather. The temperature goes up the murder rate goes up.

Stay safe!!!!!