Personally, I think evacuations should not come with a bill directly to the evacuees (although there are always exceptions).
On the other hand people might say if your butt was there and you knew it was a risky place you out to pay your way like you did to get in.
At any rate - thoughts on this?
BTW Nancy Pelosi voted for this measure.
A nation that can provide more than $300 billion for a war in Iraq can provide the money to get its people out of Lebanon," Pelosi said in a statement.Leave it to the Democrats to invent a new entitlement, the right to be evacuated from any troubled spot in the world at taxpayer expense.
Britt Hume said on his show today the Bill was passed during the Clinton era and Nancy Pelosi voted FOR it.
What a load of horsedung !! We can transport divisions of troops into Iraq and pay to rebuild civilization there but God help us if an American taxpayer needs a little help in a combat zone.
What's next? Federal surcharges on all tickets?
Tough call.
1) Who in the heck vacations in Lebanon?
2) Are these people truly Americans or terrorists enablers?
3) Are they diplomats or the families of our government workers?
I guess we have to bring them all back if we can.
Frankly, I do not care to help pay for evacuating people who chose to visit their family in Lebanon.
With the exception of the US assigned embassy personel and other US assignees most of the rest are US Muslims, gone there to live and support the Muslim cause. Let 'em find their own way "home".
1. If you are there on vacation or business, then you would pay to get youself out anyway.
2. If you live there and have American citizenship and wanted to leave at anytime, then you would have to pay your way out.
Quit crying, buck up, sign the note and get out, or stay.
To me it's simple. Those who choose to live in Lebanon know the risk and they should pay for their evacuation, not me.
I don't believe there are thousands of Americans in Lebanon. I think there are thousands of Lebanese who happen to hold US passports and spend time in this country, but in their hearts they remain Lebanese and not American. They are lucky US Marines are coming to save their butts, and they can pay for it.
Let her pick up the tab on her personal account.
As I posted elsewhere... There are just some things that sane people should know not to do; never go into a 7-11 in North Philly at 6:00am for a cup of coffee, you will like be shot in a robbery. Along the same lines, never vacation or take university courses in the Middle East while things are as unsettled as they have been for years. You make your choices and you live with the consequences. I personally think that (1) those that live there can stay there; (2) those on vacation and attending university classes can pay for themselves just as they would have done when they were originally scheduled to leave; and (3) those there on official work assignments should be taken care of by their employer. Why must I pay for the dubious decisions of others???
Ah, the hypocrisy! The Democrats are the first to criticize the war in Iraq and the money America has spent and is continuously spending. Why should the taxpayer pay for someone exercising her or his freedom to travel to problem places? Of course, the Democrats see this as another political score in which they can make gains, not because they care about those stuck in Lebanon, but because they think it will give them an advantage over the Republicans in the next elections.
Someone told me at work today that the French have already got some of their people out of Lebanon; well, the French live in the Mediterranean... they got ships there, duh! It is a logistical nightmare to get so many out of a faraway country in the midst of a war, where its infrastructure doesn't allow for a grand scale and immediate evacuation.
Alas, but these Americans living in or visiting relatives in Lebanon – a country whose government has close ties with the terrorist group Hezbollah – and is responsible for the abduction of two Israeli soldiers, and sits in the Lebanese government, and I must add, was voted into power by the Lebanese people, are demanding that the Bush Administration hurry up and get them out right away with the rest of us paying for their expenses.
Then why did she and the Democrat congress make that the lay in 1993? Stupid hypocrite.
I actually agreed with Pelosi on this, until I read further and found out she voted for a bill that said if you get evacuated you will pay. Gosh, how gullible am I even to agree with her on anything...damn stupid me.