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US and French Embassies Working on Lebanon Evacuation Plans

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posted on Jul, 15 2006 @ 01:52 PM
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The US and French embassies (and others) are considering evacuations plans for their citizens trapped in Lebanon. An estimated 25,000 US citizens and 17,000 French citizens currently live or work in Lebanon. Cyprus has been designated as the safe harbour for transit out of the area. The French will have special Air France flights to Paris and Americans will board commercial aircraft back home.
 



www.washingtonpost.com
The United States is working on a plan to evacuate American citizens from Lebanon to the neighboring island of Cyprus, the U.S. Embassy said Saturday.

"We are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel," an embassy statement said.

The State Department said Friday that Americans in Lebanon should consider leaving when it is safe to do so, and officials made contingency plans for the evacuation of people who cannot leave on their own.

Other countries were also working on similar plans. The French foreign minister said Saturday his government would use a ferry to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon starting on Sunday. Philippe Douste-Blazy said the ferry would transport to Cyprus any of the thousands of French who want to leave Lebanon. They would then be flown to Paris by special Air France flights.


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


Lebanon is completely cut off.

The airport has been bombed, a navel blockade is in place and main roads like that from Beirut to Damascus have been effectively closed. That leaves either ferries around the blockade or an airlift if you need to get out.

It's interesting that Israel has given a 72 hour ultimatum to Lebanon to "stop Hezbollah activity" along it's border.

Considering the French will begin evacuations tomorrow, I'd say this is more of an "all clear" to people to get out while they can than a stab at any kind of diplomacy.

Israel's military is apparently under full mobilization, there are rumours of skirmishes along the Syrian border, the finger pointing at Iran is growing more insistent by the minute and the Arab League Secretary General has just announced that "the Peace Process is Dead".

Fasten your seat belts...


[edit on 15-7-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]



posted on Jul, 15 2006 @ 03:34 PM
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When embassies start planning evcauations you know its going bad fast. All over 3 soldiers. This is the worst blunder Israel has made in decades and it is going to get ugly but our clueless president, true to form has no clue...this is not about Israel's right to defend itself anymore, it is about respecting international borders....taking this to the Palestianian people was bad enough but to start tearing apart Lebanon again is just plain stupid.



posted on Jul, 16 2006 @ 06:19 AM
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I just saw a phone interview on the news with an American woman who's group has literally been stranded in Lebanon with no way to get out. They registered with the Embassy two days ago and have heard nothing.

She reports that all other countries have gotten their citizens out one way or another and there is nothing left in the hotel but the stranded Americans who only know what's going on from frinds calling from the US to tell them what is being reported. she is in a city north of Beirut.



posted on Jul, 16 2006 @ 06:21 AM
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I believe UK has already sent some ships out there for a possible evac




 
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