[ErnBatavia]

My uncle would be rolling over in his grave...he was a Captain for Pan American, and based in Beirut (living there with his family, of course) for well over a year in either the late 50's or very early 60's....as I recall, they absolutely loved it.

[rebel_yell2]

Power is now out in almost all of the city. My hotel is running on generator. The darkness of the city outside my window is unnatural. I fear that things are going to get much worse in the next 24 hours. A few hours ago, the entire city shook as the IAF bombed the Hizbollah HQ

I just spoke with the State Dept. in DC. They now have a "special" Lebanon task force. The staffer I spoke to refuted everything I have been told about an evacuation. He asked me to "confirm" that the five MEA planes actually left the Beirut airport. It appears that CNN knows more than State. And it looks like I will be spending much more time in Beirut than I had planned.

If you have time, please phone your Congress Critter and ask him or her what they are doing to get U.S. citizens out of harm's way here in Lebanon.