Canada advising citizens to leave Syria NOW! Any other country doing the same?

Source

Although we all know about the situation in Syria, this is a serious warning that has not been issued before by Canada. In fact, it is a couple of hours old. If you go to the link, you will see a red box telling people to avoid all travel.

They are tempering the warning further down the page by saying they are urging people to leave "while commercial transportation is still available", but the red box is new, as is the warning to leave now. (Still available as opposed to what, military? Or nothing at all). While I am not trying to fear monger at all, I do have goose bumps thinking that's how the big conflict is going to accelerate. Even before Iran, or at the same time, maybe, but the warning has not been issued to citizens traveling to Iran...yet anyway.

I'm wondering if people in other countries can check their own national External Affairs website and let us know if others are following suit. I have such a bad feeling that things are going to explode very very soon. Maybe if I go to the OWS in my area this weekend, I'll carry a lighted candle for peace. I am weary of wars and all the hatred and greed.

WIshing love and peace to the world.

the U.S. did the same a month ago -
Leave Syria, U.S. advises

and eerily used the same language

Australia also:
smartraveller.gov.au...

But many middle east countries they advise against going to. And with all the latest Iran threads I must add that it is one country that is NOT on the list.

reply to post by aboutface


I haven't been keeping too up to date day by day on this conflict, but when the government are using tanks to suppress civilian opposition I would say that its time to get away from there asap, this has been going on for ages now. The Syrian people seem to have really had enough and are getting more bold, the prisons there are so awful and young men who are loosely suspected of being opposed to the government apparently are snatched away and put inside for a long time, I'm sure angry family members not knowing what has happened to their sons and brothers are just standing up and saying oh no you don't.

The countries government have done itself no favours. In countries like this where soldiers are used against their own people I always find it amazing that the military carries out such orders seemingly with little remorse, as if they don't understand that it could be their family members that they are shooting at, beating and arresting. Maybe they are just frightened, I don't really know enough about the military culture there. I'm pretty amazed that they have to tell people to get out, when snipers and tanks get deployed to dispurse protesters that's usually a good sign that things are going to get much worse and it seems like ages ago when they were first deployed.. I hope everyone gets out there safely and that nobody staying behind has to be rescued as they don't realise that its not safe, anyone can see its not safe at all.

This basically tells us they expect a serious escalation in the amount of violence and casualties, that if you don't want to end up a statistic, that you probably shouldn't go to Syria for any reason but to fight in a war against the Syrian Govt.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you took up arms against Assad, they just don't want to have to negotiate your terms of surrender later when you get caught in the latest operation.

reply to post by Aestheteka


The Canadian travel advisory was issued for Syria a month ago too, but there has been an upgrade in the tone of urgency today, IMO.

Originally posted by zenius
Australia also:
smartraveller.gov.au...

But many middle east countries they advise against going to. And with all the latest Iran threads I must add that it is one country that is NOT on the list.

edit on 14-10-2011 by zenius because: add

Makes you wonder though, huh? I wonder if we'll learn anything by checking these sites on a daily basis?

What happened to good old common sense?? If your visiting a place, and crap like whats happening in Syria starts going down. Why wait to be "advised" to leave??

Originally posted by aboutface

Makes you wonder though, huh? I wonder if we'll learn anything by checking these sites on a daily basis?

I'd recommend everyone have an RSS reader and subscribe to the State Dept feeds, if nothing else. Syria has had warnings with different details and issues cited by the U.S. come out on Aug 23, Sept 15 and Sept 30. Lebanon just got their travel warning issued by the U.S. on Oct 12 along with Mauritania of all places, on that same day. Today brought a warning for travel to Nigeria. The State Dept is a busy place these days for telling Americans where they shouldn't be or need to leave soonest to avoid serious security threats. These are interesting times to be living in.

reply to post by NoNameBrand


Well of course. However from past experience, when it looked like things were really really going south, the embassy would call everyone and urge them to leave right away. The people still there are probably foreigners of Syrian birth or by marriage.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


You deserve a few stars for that excellent suggestion, but I can only give you one. Thanks. I'll be sure to do this.

It might also have something to do with dual citizenship. Like the situation back in 2006 during the Israel and Lebanon conflict, the Canadian government had a serious problem with the amount, and the cost of trying to remove citizens that have duel citizenship in that country at the peak of the problem.

We have many syrians here who have dual syrian/canadian citizenship. It would be cheaper for the government to have citizens return here on their own accord, but during a crisis they would have no choice to do what they could for the saftey of their own citizens.

Just me two cents

reply to post by alphacenturi


Ohhhh, right! How could I have forgotten that Lebanon evacuation episode? It did slip my mind, but as Bush said, "once bitten..umm"

Old news. Many countries have been doing the same for a while now. This doesnt spell something immenent just because Canada did it today LOL.