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 ...
Rebel_yell2 did TRASH Syria & IRAN .
He stated he wants them to be cut off at the head !
Yeah, "gone native" comes to mind. ;-)
Yeeesh...the "ugly Americans" and worthless NGO's. Shudder!
Peach has been a freeper for a long time . Peach loves the Usa & Israel.
I Think a freeper can be Frustated with the state dept , & still love their country .
I'm upset that the immgration dept lets felon immigrants stay in the USA !
Because I'm disgusted with the state dept on the issue of illegals Does that mean I hate the usa ?
And there are those that take pleasure in the misfortunes of others. But these sorts usually get tripped up at some point or the other.
For the record, I take great offense with your post.
If you go expat and publically trash the USA, I doubt your intent. This guy went native and has sympathy for people sworn to our destruction. Send him your Amex number and code if you are so sure of his loyalty.
Thank you, dear heart, and me too. One of my friends already tried to fit into the sea bag-so I didn't bother. That option is out ; )
DvdMom, you are something else.
;^)
Play in a war zone? Stop your whining.
You and others have outright lied about Rebels posts.
This is what you said to him:
"but you suck for running down the US, our Marines, Navy, and Air Force- for prioritizing Americans that registered. I wish you no harm, but shame on you."
Now, if running down the US means complaining about the State Department, then I guess I'm complaining about the US too. And so are dozens and dozens of freepers. Rebel has never once run down the US, as you put it.
The State Dept. is the ONE department that probably takes heat around here on a daily basis. And in this case, with good cause. They barely answer their phone, haven't posted online messages for people, haven't put anything as of yesterday on their web site to update people about extraction, people thought they were registered for extraction and they weren't, etc.
Rebel never said a word about the Air Force and the only thing he's said about the military AT ALL is a) that he supports the military and b) wondered why the Iwo Jima
wasn't on its way to Cyprus.
As to his posts about Israel blocking the port and bombing the airport, the escalation that led to the blockade of Lebanon was not expected in DC or anywhere else for that matter and took governments around the world by surprise. There is no doubt that it's made the extraction of citizens more difficult, dangerous and time consuming.
I've seen freepers lie about his posts and say that he's complained about the cost of extraction, hates Israel and that he was on vacation - none of which is true.
The day I start talking to a freeper caught in a war zone the way a lot of you have talked with him is the day I quit Free Republic.
I see that he's already responded to you (see my first example of Rebel's posts) but for others who are reading, I'm posting some of his posts here so people can judge for themselves.
Some of Rebel's posts, in no particular order:
You are either a lying twit or evil person who cannot read. I did not ONCE run down the U.S., the Marines, the Navy or the Air Force, only the State Department, and with good reason (if you could read and comprehend).
You take legitimate criticism of an unresponsive bureacracy that has left thousands of Americans without information about what to do in a war zone and twist it to fit your own political ends, much like Hizbollah has been doing here in Lebanaon in the press and on TV.
P.S. My "personal feelings about Israel" have been 100 percent supportive up to this issue. I was working in Jerusalem two weeks ago. I fully support the TOTAL elimination of Hizbollah (and their puppeteers in Tehran).
There is nothing wrong with charging us for evacuation to Cyprus. I think that everyone I have spoken with would gladly pay thousands of dollars, if they could affort it, but many cannot; the actual cost will be modest.
I have a return ticket so this is costless. For others travelling to the U.S., it will cost at least 1K per person, and many are with families. Not cheap, but better than losing a loved one in the incipient war.
Third, many other countries have done a far more effective job of getting their (and, in many cases, our) citizens out of Lebanon; for example, France, Italy and Sweden.
I am not worried about my situation; I am pretty safe in my current location.
That said, I am happy to pay for a spot on a ferry to Cyprus. But I would have liked to be able to bring my luggage if I am paying for the privilege of passage. This is not a "for profit" operation; otherwise I could have been out of here days ago because I certainly was willing to pay!
That doesn't excuse the AWOL State Department communications with those of us trapped in Lebanon. A daily post to the Embassy website would have been nice. An email once in a while. An acknowledgement of registration. A website registration that actually worked would be nice.
They are only taking us to Cyprus, silly! Not back to the U.S. We still have to pay our airfare from Larnaca, Cyprus to, in my case, Chicago. No refund exists.
That said, I am happy to pay, BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE MY LUGGAGE HERE IN BEIRUT!!! I understand the reason, to get more people out faster, but I am most likely going to lose everything I leave, or at least have to pay several hundred dollars to have it shipped to me once the Beirut airport re-opens.
From everything I hear, the escalation to a blockade of Lebanon was unexpected last week in Washington and every other major capital of the world, but I defer to your knowledge of international affairs . . . .
Please tell me who is blockading the route from Beirut to Larnaca? The Israeli Navy is preventing the free movement of U.S. citizens in international waters. Call it what you will. Now if that will help eliminate Hizbollah, I am supportive of the effort and so be it, but it is a fact. You need to take your hate-filled blinders off and see the real world.
Understand that governments do something called "contingency planning." That is one of the things I have been teaching governments over here in the Middle East. You try to foresee these problems and see if you have the resources to deal with them. Call volume for a major international incident falls in that category. State gets an "F" for contingency planning.
As for extraction insurance, it doesn't get you out when there is a military blockade. At least not in any manner I'd like to try, like through Syria.
I am staying in a fully operational hotel with broadband internet access in central Beirut, along with about ten other Westerners awaiting evacuation. Unless the situation here deteriorates to where I feel my personal safety is at risk, I'm staying put. Plus, it is an easy spot from which to evacuate and the one where the State Dept expects to find me.
The Iwo Jima battle group was in the Red Sea last Wednesday when this all started. Contingency planning might suggest beginning to move it through the Suez Canal and toward Lebanon a bit quicker?
Actually, all they really need to get started is a destroyer or two and a couple of chartered cruise ships. That is what is happening today, six days later.
The delay in evacuation is understandable. The lack of communication to/from State is what I find so disturbing.
I apologize for the State-bashing. The problem is not that the staff is not working hard enough but that contingency planning failed to prepare for an incident of this scale, especially on the IT side. All of us here certainly appreciate the hard work you and your co-workers are putting in.
BIG THANK YOU!!!
I was under supervision of the U.N., but the U.N. just left town. I will try to track down my U.S. warden. Thanks for that suggestion.
Your comment is very good advice for all travellers: register before or as soon as you depart. I won't make that mistake again.
FWIW, I came here with State Dept. approval and under protection of the U.N. So much for both. The U.N. evacuated this morning by bus through Syria.
As for the large number of "citizens" in Beirut, the blame again lays at the feet of the State Dept., which has granted dual citizenship to thousands of Lebanese, many of whom are Hizbollah sympathizers.
The State Dept. has been MIA in this evacuation.
No one is answering the phone at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
Phone calls to the main State Dept. EMERGENCY numbers are put on hold for upwards of 1 hour.
The registration system for U.S. citizens in Lebanon is a massive failure. Not only does it fail to register people, it doesn't send a confirmation so you think you are registered when, in actuality, you are not.
I know these things because I am STILL in Lebanon, with no contact (not even an email) from the State Department, one week after I "registered" with their online system. Finally, I got someone to pull some strings, finding out that I was NOT registered. At least NOW I'm registered. Not that it is doing any good.
Thank you.
FYI: BykrBarb is banned or suspended.
Excellent analogy.
What a disgusting lie. Rebel has shown ZERO sympathy for Hezbollah.
Since you are now a proven liar, I think we can disregard your posts.
Dissenting opinion once more becomes subject to banishment. Have fun.
She didn't get suspened for dissenting opinion but for arguing with a mod. Get real.
He lost a lot of support in his first post when he said he "did NOT support Israel in this". If he had said he was stuck and needed help and prayers, he would have had that.
Ditto.
I'm back ; ) but playing catch up.
I checked into this thread hoping to see a message from rebel that he was safe.
I think people lost sight of the original article and it became a personal thread about rebel. Nothing wrong with that, but that people should be able to express their opinion even if one of our own freepers is stuck in the middle of it.
rebel, was there on official business with the UN. He had permission from the State Dept to be there (permission, he wasn't registered as being there doing State Dept business). He was under the protection of the UN and I suppose he was registered with them because they did inform him when the UN evacuated their people. He chose not to evacuate with the UN people because they were leaving through Syria. (and I don't blame him for not wanting to take that route)
He did not register with the US embassy before his trip or after he got there. He did not try to register with the US embassy until after the major bombing had started. His major frustration was caused by trying to register and make phone calls to the flooded website and phone lines and the fact that he was not getting communication from the US authorities. I think it is reasonable to assume that he was not getting communication because he was not registered before this all went down.
I have always had respect for rebel as a poster on this board and still do. rebel is/was in the middle of a horrible situation and I cut him lots of slack and I don't care if he rails against us and cusses us all out, but I don't think it was the US government's fault that he was stuck there. I don't think there was anything wrong with the system and I think that even though people didn't get out as fast as they wished they would(because if you are stuck in the middle of a war zone you want to be out yesterday), the US government worked as fast as they reasonably could to get them out.
I look forward to hearing what rebel has to say about the situation after he is safely back on US soil and thinking while outside of the situation, instead on in the middle of the situation.
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