CNN/AP: European citizens to be evacuated from Lebanon

[DeepModem Mom]

European citizens to be evacuated from Lebanon
Saturday, July 15, 2006

PARIS, France (AP) -- European nations lined up ferries, buses and airplanes to evacuate thousands of their citizens from Lebanon, increasingly under siege from Israeli attacks.

France, which has historic ties to Lebanon and 17,000 citizens residing there, announced plans Saturday to ferry French nationals to Cyprus where Air France flights would be waiting to bring them to Paris.

The voluntary evacuations will begin Sunday. In addition to French residents, up to 6,000 other French citizens were estimated to be in Lebanon visiting....

***

A convoy of 410 Italians and others, mainly from the EU, packed up and fled on Saturday, traveling by land to Latakia, Syria. They were boarding military flights to Rome, some going first to Cyprus, the head of the Italian Foreign Ministry's crisis unit, Elisabetta Belloni, said. More than 1,000 Italians remain in Lebanon....

***

Diplomats in Berlin were monitoring the situation closely, preparing for all possible scenarios....The Greek government has said it had chartered an Olympic Airways plane and was ready to fly it to Jordan should any Greek or EU citizens ask to return home. The plane could leave on three hours' notice, the Greek Foreign Ministry said....Thursday, a group of 115 Cypriots and other foreign nationals, were bussed to Syria then evacuated to Cyprus....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/15/lebanon.europeans.ap/index.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tuvor]

2. Last I heard, Canadians and Americans are stuck there.

No plans to get them out.

[daleo]

4. U.S. is supposed to be making plans, I don't know about Canada

"CNN: U.S. plans 'air bridge' out of Lebanon, officials say"

[tuvor]

11. Check the Canada Forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=190&topic_id=15698&mesg_id=15717

[daleo]

3. That's kind of how it looks

I presume Israel is allowing them to leave. I wonder if all foreign nationals are being permitted to leave, or if there is some selectivity by nation.

[New Government]

9. Read The Terms Of Service.....No RACISM at DU

That's a disgusting comment. For one thing, "European citizens" is not the same as, "white folks." If you're anywhere near Europe, stop and take a look around.

[President Kerry]

5. this eeriely reminds me of the situation in Rwanda.

(no, i'm not comparing Hutu maniacal genocide with IDF actions, though I approve of neither)

[sueragingroz]

8. There are parallels

What have we heard from the UN on this so far?

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-07-16T001907Z_01_N15203611_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-UN-LEBANON.xml

- squat.

But then... the UN is largely irrelevant these days.... Thanks to the likes of Bolton...

[tocqueville]

6. two French warships just left for Cyprus and 800 troops are flown in

France sends a helicopter carrier and a frigate, several transport planes, and Cobra helicopters besides the ferry. The UK is sending its hangar carrier and an amphibious attack ship. Evacuation is planned though Syria.

this are some of the European measures, other countries are involved too

http://www.afp.com/francais/news/stories/060715204248.9p29bcwf.html (French)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060715/ts_nm/mideast_foreigners_dc;_ylt=Ar0P5ifFjRtL2lgymwMyLRUHcggF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[New Government]

10. Are they only plucking out "White folks" as the poster above suggested?

Racism against white people is no worse than racism against black, brown or green people. The French are getting the FRENCH out and that does BOT equal getting white people out. Anybody been to France lately and looked around?

[sueragingroz]

7. Not so for Canadians...

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=453eb681-996a-4772-bf17-46e786bec982&k=6888

10,000 registered with the embassy...

No word on what will happen to them...

I personally know one of them. He's a university professor in Beruit.