U.S. Rescue Bogs Down in Lebanon

LATimes ^ | July 18, 2006 | Megan K. Stack

[rebel_yell2]

BEIRUT — Thousands of Americans whose vacations and business trips to Lebanon have degenerated with sickening speed into stints in a battle zone remained stranded here under Israeli bombardment Monday, their frustration and anger mounting because the U.S. government hasn't gotten them out faster.

Waiting around Beirut with bags packed and fingers crossed, U.S. citizens derided the embassy for busy phone lines, a lack of information and gnawing uncertainty over when and whether they will get out. Hundreds were expected to be shipped to Cyprus today, but how long the full evacuation will take remains uncertain.

[burzum]

The Syrians will get them to stay and by the time Israel is ready to attack they will be hostages. Mark my words.

As I said before, I disagree. Syria will be in a much better military position in 5 years if Iran has nuclear weapons. A little patience on Syria's part (and perhaps a little luck with electing some liberal Americans to high political offices) would make Israel's situation 100 times more dire.

If Syria takes hostages now, the US will invade Syria and regime change will occur. There is no question about that. Jimmy Carter is no longer POTUS, and Americans will no longer tolerate these acts. Iran may try some fast actions, but they would then be bombed into oblivion. Without nuclear weapons, neither Syria nor Iran have anything they can do that can scare the US militarily.

[weegie]

Rebel Yell - -could I suggest that you get yourself over to the suburbs of Jouneih or Kassilik both on the cost about 7 and 3 miles nrth of the city centre respectively. Both areas are heavily Christian and anti Hezbolah.

[rebel_yell2]

I am not critizing Israel, but when another sovereign nation inteferes with the free passage of U.S. citizens, as Israel has done by blockading Lebanon, which prevents U.S. citizens from being able to remove themselves from a dangerous situation, that becomes an issue for my government. I am quite happy taking responsibility for my own safety. I am unhappy about being held hostage by a foreign government.

I hope you understand the distinction.

[raygun]

As far as I'm concerned, everybody has a right to grouse. It doesn't solve anything. It doesn't accomplish anything, but its a unique American privelige, and is especially intended to be directed at our civil servants in positions of authority and reputed leadership (lest they get the idea servant should be master).

[romanesq]

I think your assessment is much closer to the potential reality. Syria is not looking to pick a fight right now. They are more than happy to let their friends from Tehran pick up the tab and take the potshots via their islamofascist allies.

I don't understand why Bush named them in his comment to Blair. Syria is the conduit for arms and intel but Tehran is the home base and idealogical home of these vermin.

[romanesq]

That's a great idea, but what does he do when he gets there?

[rebel_yell2]

How about those of us who came with Daddy's permission? :-)

[romanesq]

I have great sympathy for your situation. But you are a visitor in a country that can't even maintain its own liberty and has a militia holding it hostage to its whim to break international law and attack a neighboring state.

Unfortunately that neighboring state happens to know the logistics of war and is cutting off the exit and entry in order to better attempt to secure itself and its million plus citizens now at risk.

First we (they) are going to surround it, then we (they) are going to kill it. - General Schwartzkoff.

Unlike the Euro talking heads and the MSM, you don't confront an enemy who is targeting and then attacking your civilian population by slapping them on the wrist. You employ sound military doctrine.

The Israelis are not going to do a South Korea, leaving a people and a city like Seoul hostage to the whims of a madman.

Having said that, I'm deeply saddened by the rapid escalation and the loss of civilian life on all sides, but the numbers in Lebanon are just terrible.

[conservative in nyc]

I understand that the State Department is working to get people out. I also realize that the U.S. isn't just a few hundred miles away from Lebanon, and the logistics of evacuating thousands of people from a war zone with no mass air or realistic land evacuation alternatives must be a nightmare. Sending thousands of Americans by bus to an airport in Syria (as some European countries have done) doesn't sound very appealing.

The problem is that perception is often more important than reality. If the LA Times reports that some low-level bureaucrat in Lebanon is telling people their name isn't on the list when it actually is, then people are going to think that's true, even if it isn't. When France starts evacuating its citizens more quickly than the U.S., perception will be that we care less about our stranded citizens than the French, unless someone explains why it's taking longer.

This is starting to sound like another Katrina story in the making - the reality is that it was a miracle than tens of thousands were saved from hurricane-ravaged, flood-damaged New Orleans. The perception was that the rescue attempts were bungled because the people on high ground near the TV cameras weren't sent out of town first.

[rebel_yell2]

As that old country song goes "Hindsight's twenty-twenty." Was that Randy Travis?

I love all of these "I told you so" tsk-tskers who are so unsympathetic to fellow citizens who are being held hostage by a foreign government. The funny thing is that it isn't Hizbollah that prevents us from leaving Beirut; it is our staunchest ally.

[fatima]

rebel_yell2,I saw somewhere that only 5,000 Americans will be evacuated.The rest have dual citizenship and wish to stay.

[NinoFan]

I think you are assuming a little too much rationality and restraint on Syria's part. Syria hates the Jews and the West more so than almost any other country in the region. If Israel does attack Syria, Syria will resort to the only thing it really understands - terrorism and its methods. I'm not sure it will be able to resist taking control of the Americans that are already in its borders. You're right that doing so would just be asking for trouble, but again, that's expecting Syria to always act in its own best interest.

What really concerns me regarding Syria is its non-nuclear WMD supply. We all know that it has lots of deadly gasses. The question is how fast it could obtain biological weapons. The modern understanding is that biological weapons are almost as good as nuclear ones and they don't require the country to have a full scale (and very obvious to spy satellites) program to maintain.

[romanesq]

We are not all unsympathetic. Godspeed!

[avital2]

sorry for your quandary - but as a frequent traveler to that part of the world, i know that it is risky business. actually i don't count on the government coming to my aid at all. i think you are lucky we are even if it takes time.

[NinoFan]

I think your assessment is much closer to the potential reality. Syria is not looking to pick a fight right now. They are more than happy to let their friends from Tehran pick up the tab and take the potshots via their islamofascist allies.

What's amusing is that I view the situation almost entirely in reverse. It's Iran that's willing to let Syria get Israel's wrath.

[xzins]

their frustration and anger mounting because the U.S. government hasn't gotten them out faster.

Perhaps they've noticed an ongoing war.

Perhaps they shouldn't have chosen a flippin' war zone for "vacations and business trips."

[leadpenny]

No, the difference between you and me is that I don't need to get a clue. Any country that we have diplomatic relations with means that even tourists are in that country based on some form of treaty and can expect certain types of protection as an American citizen. We don't cut the lifeline just because things get dicey. That's one of the things that makes us America. Your comment about what you think I hate is just too stupid to address. But that's what I've come to expect from a "but" monkey.

[romanesq]

Sorry although you place the emphasis on the capability of Syria in a military sense of their assets, you don't see their vulnerabilities. They are teetering even before this situation arose, having been walked out of Lebanon in shame and just short of being named as the masterminds of assassination there.

If Syria applies chemical attacks of any kind on Israel, Damascus is dust.
They will not be permitted anonymity in the use of chemical weapons.

[Beckwith]

I'm here on the ground, trying to contact our embassy staff, trying to register with the State Dept., trying to call the State Dept. Busy, no answer, 50 minutes on hold.

And there's 24,999 other Americans doing the same thing and you call the U. S. Embassy a joke.

I understand you're stressed but imagine how stressed those at the embassy, trying to facilitate the evacuation of 25,000 Americans, are?

I can't imagine why anyone going to that part of the world doesn't make prior arrangements for an extraction?

[freeangel]

When will Americans realize that if they travel to another country, the US should not be responsible for their decision.