U.S. Mulls Evacuating Citizens from Lebanon
ABC News
According to the State Department, about 25,000 Americans live in Lebanon, and with the Israelis striking the airport, sea ports and the lone major border crossing, getting them out of Lebanon would not be easy.
"It would be large task over several days to get that many people out of a city that's being torn apart by bombs and all kinds of unstable conditions," said Greg Bujac, a former State Department security official.
Pentagon officials tell ABC News they are in "active planning" for an evacuation, but no orders have been given to move troops, ships or helicopters. It's up to the State Department to make the call to order an evacuation.
Today ABC News met a group of college kids who have been trying to leave for days.
"You can't really talk to the embassy if you're in Lebanon," one woman said. "We can't get in contact with anybody there." Read more
db: The failure of US and British governments to insist that Israel adopts an immediate ceasefire - as demanded by the Lebanese PM - suggests that sympathy with "Israel's right to defend itself" by destroying civilian infrastructure and innocent lives comes ahead of all other considerations - including the safety of US/UK nationals.
According to the State Department, about 25,000 Americans live in Lebanon, and with the Israelis striking the airport, sea ports and the lone major border crossing, getting them out of Lebanon would not be easy.
"It would be large task over several days to get that many people out of a city that's being torn apart by bombs and all kinds of unstable conditions," said Greg Bujac, a former State Department security official.
Pentagon officials tell ABC News they are in "active planning" for an evacuation, but no orders have been given to move troops, ships or helicopters. It's up to the State Department to make the call to order an evacuation.
Today ABC News met a group of college kids who have been trying to leave for days.
"You can't really talk to the embassy if you're in Lebanon," one woman said. "We can't get in contact with anybody there." Read more
db: The failure of US and British governments to insist that Israel adopts an immediate ceasefire - as demanded by the Lebanese PM - suggests that sympathy with "Israel's right to defend itself" by destroying civilian infrastructure and innocent lives comes ahead of all other considerations - including the safety of US/UK nationals.
posted by exoplanet at 1:24 AM
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