Posted on 07/18/2006 12:46:21 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Tried that several days ago. They said that the Israeli navy turned them back when they tried.
They are showing a Greek ship on standby ready to evacuate Americans.Fox News.
I was afraid of that. Well, it works in the movies :-)
Let me point out that the Iwo Jima amphibious landing group is STILL in the Red Sea, seven days after this thing began. You have to START moving a ship before it can get somewhere.
Well, don't hesitate to Freepmail me should you need any kind of translation.
Let's hope your next post will be from Cyprus !
Can't contribute anything but a kind word and encouragement. It always stinks to be at the mercy of the government. Hang in there.
Let's take a poll. How many Freepers have EVER registered with the U.S. State Dept when traveling abroad?
I now return you to the regular schedule of pointless finger pointing mostly by people who never travel abroad.
I have no idea how far you are from the port, but honestly it looks like people are have just went ahead and traveled to the port to wait it out at the port.
Is there a group with you at the hotel that are also trying to get out? - Maybe you all should travel as group to the port and wait it out there.
Did you read this?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/18/060718105802.07trkg8t.html
Has Jack Murtha suggested moving our citizens to Okinawa yet??
Maybe the Pentagon is having second thoughts about redeploying certain elements away from the Persian Gulf.
"Tried that several days ago. They said that the Israeli navy turned them back when they tried."
Unfortunate situation you are in. Too bad your UN protection Flew the COOP...
We should never trust the UN for anything ....Useless Nation in my opinion.
I don't find it unusual that Israel is taking special precautions , under the circumstances.
Good Luck
I'd never go back to the lands of the headchoppers in the future, if i were you.
Well, I registered. I am not very cosmopolitan, so whenever I or anyone in my family travels abroad, I read all of the instructions on the State Deartment web site, and follow directions. Of course my huisband thinks I'm silly, but that's what I do anyway.
They blame the Embassy for busy phone lines? Oh well sure, I guess the Embassy should have KNOWN this was coming and had another 10-15 lines installed. Then again surely it's the embassy's fault that everyone tried to call them at once.
Unsaid but inferred in the article is that this is another Katrina botch up.
OK, back to plan "A"....flatten the Hexbollah first...
I've been following your adventures and find your reporting to be quite riveting.
It does seem like you were caught off-guard by this whole situation. Did you and your employer ever have discussions on what to do in the event of this type of scenario? If so, what went wrong?
The Swimmer is on a tear ranting why Condi isn't over there right now (as if he's doing anything to solve the world's troubles). Just another thing clogging up our prompt response.
Maybe the anti-Bush crowd at State, led by people like Nicholas Burns is slowing down the process to make Bush look bad. Been done before.
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.
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Correct! And they kept driving to the high spot every day, and showing 'victims' that could not get out. Never did they mention giving anyone a lift, or a map to an escape route. I doubt if they shared a bottle of water with their photo-op backdrops. I have not been able to look at Shep Smith ever since.
16:23 UN to evacuate all non-essential staff from Beirut (AP)
Sorry Associated Press, they all left this morning!
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