My friend's parents awoke to the sound of the airport being bombed

[AlienGirl]

Hiro doesn't have enough posts to start a thread yet.

He just told me his parents were awakened by the sound of the bombing.

I wish I could give Hiro a hug in person, but he's across the country. So here's a virtual one. :grouphug: I can't even imagine how awful this must be for him.

Tucker

[txwhitedove]

1. Where is Hiro?

[hiro]

15. Not there, thankfully

I'm in the Northeastern US, so I myself am safe.

The weird thing is I had the chance to go to Beirut earlier this summer, but I turned it down because of a gut feeling that things were going to get really screwy...

-H.

[txwhitedove]

18. We'll all be thinking of your family and watch for your updates.

[everythingsxen]

2. Sorry Hiro

I wish I could do something to help. All I can do is hope for you and your family. :hug:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. Tell them they're in our thoughts.

[KitchenWitch]

4. Love and hope to Hiro and his family!

:hug:

[hiro]

5. Wow....

Thanks, you guys...this means so very much to me...

My parents are alright-- I heard from them a few minutes ago.

Turns out that there have been airstrikes on another location in south Beirut-- a neighborhood I know very well. I guess the good news in all of this is that they missed blowing up my favorite shawarma stand. ;) (...wow, that just made me laugh for the first time in hours...)

As I suspected, my family has options open, and is waiting for things to develop in the day that just started there (9 AM Beirut time right now). We've already got people from our community (the Armenian community) stranded with no way elsewhere...and with getting into Syria a hard thing to do, all they can really do is lay low and wait.

-H.

[KitchenWitch]

6. Welcome to DU Hiro

And I hope your family finds a safe haven in this madness.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

7. Hiro! Hello! Hope you are well! Welcome to DU too!

[everythingsxen]

8. Welcome hiro and best wishes to your family

May they stay safe through these dangerous times.

[AlienGirl]

10. I wish I had a big friggin boat right now...

We'd be on our way across the ocean by now.

Tucker

[auntAgonist]

11. Welcome Hiro;

my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I hope and pray they remain safe.

:hug:

aA

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. Hiro!

:grouphug:

Welcome to DU! :hi:

Thanks for sharing what's going on with your family :hug:

[hiro]

13. So here's where it stands

*All three runways at the airport are out.
*Beirut itself has been hit, and there are casualties.
*There are meetings of several major organizations being called right now.
*Downtown Beirut is safe for now, but if I know the way security works there, it's probably already crawling with tanks and fully armed and armored soldiers, police, and internal security forces.

My parents and brother are safe, as are all my friends that I've managed to confirm the whereabouts of, in any means possible.

Will post again tomorrow and update you all. For now, I think I actually need to sleep...

See you tomorrow! And thank you one and all.

-H.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

14. Thanks. Get some sleep.

[Fleshdancer]

16. I'm so sorry

Please keep us updated. My heart goes out to you and your family...and friends and neighbors. :hug:

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. Check your six, dude

Your folks'll be okay. :thumbsup:

[AlienGirl]

19. You airplane guys crack me up with your secret codes an' all

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. Foxtrot Uniform

No joy.

Pigeons to home plate.

[hiro]

23. Roger that

Fox one, fox one.

[lavenderdiva]

21. Welcome to DU, hiro!

I'm so very sorry to hear about what happened in Lebanon today. I will be praying that your family are safe.

When I was a little girl, we used to go to Lebanon every year. It was beautiful, and I've never seen a more azure blue ocean. It makes me sad to think of what happened today....

[hiro]

22. *sigh*

Yes...I miss those days too...especially watching the sun set over the Mediterranean-- the first ocean that truly seemed endless.

I just got the news from friends in Lebanon...apparently the naval blockade is in place. People were taking ships to Cyprus, but now even that's out of the question. That leaves as the way out, the increasingly inconvenient border crossing with Syria.

There's talk of striking the home of Hezbollah leader Hassan Saeed Nasrallah. If it's struck...all hell will break loose. I know, I know, all hell already broke loose, but...I've seen with my own eyes how Hezbollah does things in Beirut (they can own the place if they want...), and if their leader is attacked...

Let me put it this way. A local "Christian" TV station made fun of the same man not too long ago in a comedy show. The supporters of Hezbollah went NUTS. They immediately took to the streets, burned tires and went rampaging, and rioted for HOURS, even blocking the road to the airport. And they didn't stop until Nasrallah got on national TV and went "Okay guys, CHILL!"

My reaction to that when I heard it was "Wow. When the extremist Mullah says 'knock it off!' then you definitely know something's screwy..."

At any rate, this is proving to be worse and worse. With two powerplants taken out (and probably more power and water facilities next on the list), and the blockade cutting off seaborne supplies of fuel for said electric facilities...and with the Syrians still mad at Lebanon for demanding their withdrawal not too long ago...things have the potential to get waaaaaaaaaaaay worse.

It's 4 PM there now....

-H.

[lavenderdiva]

24. thank you for keeping us posted on what's really happening over there

right now... please keep posting, ok?

[myrna minx]

25. Welcome to DU, Hiro.

:hi: May your family stay safe. :hug:

[progmom]

26. your family (and you) will be in my thoughts and prayers

:hug:

[bigwillq]

27. Welcome to DU hiro!

:hi: :hug:

Hope your parents are safe.

[Avalux]

29. I posted to you below - didn't see you here!

It's a horrible situation and I hope things return to normal soon. Please let the madness stop. Best. :hug:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

9. AG I don't mean to hyjack your thread but Hiro I started a thread for you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5365835

[Avalux]

28. I am so saddened to hear that.

Tell Hiro he and his family are in my thoughts. As far as the situation over there - I am pissed beyond words. x(

[AlienGirl]

30. I haven't heard from Hiro yet today

But I want to kick this thread anyway.

Tucker

[Theres-a]

31. Sending prayers to Hiro

This is a sad day in history.So much war.

[Pithlet]

32. Hiro and his family are in my thoughts.

:grouphug:

[malta blue]

33. Wow, that is just horrible.

My thoughts go our to Hiro and to his family. Hoping they all stay safe...

[hiro]

34. oh god...

Right after I got the news that my father has the car ready to go for a trip to Syria if need be, I got the news....the highway to Damascus, which was already clogged with people fleeing, has been bombed.

That leaves one highway out.

I can't believe this. I really can't believe this. No way out by air, no way out by sea, two of three main highways cut off...

All I can do is wait.

-H.

[LeftCoast]

35. My thoughts and prayers are with your family

:hug:

[AlienGirl]

36. I'm still praying for them, and for you

:hug:

[bicentennial_baby]

38. ....

:hug: :hug: :hug:

we're here with you...believe that. :hug:

[AlienGirl]

37. kicking...there were more explosions...

[hiro]

39. It gets worse

A stadium I remember very well was just bombed.

They're getting into my "old stomping grounds" now...

It's 6:10 AM over there, and within an hour or two I should hear from my folks.

-H.

[uppityperson]

40. Best of luck to Hiro and his family.

:hug: welcome to DU Hiro

[hiro]

41. It gets worse again.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-07-14T022319Z_01_L14119192_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-R3-RelatedNews-1

The airport road itself was just now attacked, and the highway to the south, as well.

I am almost afraid to think of what I'll see when I wake up...

-H.

[everythingsxen]

42. I am so sorry hiro..

I hope they stay safe, truly I do.

[hiro]

43. Alright

Word has arrived from my father. Smoke is still rising from the airport, and the powerplant in that area that was hit.

My family was up at 5 Beirut time (10 PM Thursday Eastern US time), watching the attack happen. The hit to the highway is confirmed, as is the beginnings of a shortage of everything.

As he said, Lebanon is dependent on imports for everything from electricity to beef. With this siege (Yes, it's a siege) in place, things are gonna turn New Orleans-like before long...

Also he says that there are no Hezbollah fighters killed, but over 40 civilians dead. Add to that the Israeli civilians killed by Hezbollah, and...you get a really really bad situation.

In addition, the only open border crossing, it turns out, was the one that has pretty much been cut off, both by the bridge that can not be accessed anymore, as well as the crush of people trying to flee the country.

And yet..."business as usual" goes on for the Lebanese.

-h.

EDIT: Got the news of the first of the Hezbollah fighters killed. That'll only make them more nuts...

[UndertheOcean]

44. Hang in there Hiro ... hope the best for the people of Lebanon ...

The Switzerland of the middle east

[hiro]

45. News

There have been the first power outages in Beirut. One of the airport runways was fixed, but it was just destroyed again.

Even if Israel stops now, the damage is done, and Lebanon will be hurting for a long, long time. But there is no indication that there will be any imminent end to the hostilities.

-H.