For shame! This is how we treat American citizens?

[theHandpuppet]

Of course, after what we saw from the way people on the Gulf were abandoned after Katrina, this shouldn't come as a surprise. This govt is absolutely shameful AND incompetent! They don't give a damn about any of us.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/18/stranded.family/index.html

U.S. family: Get us out of Lebanon
Parents and children hear bomb explosions all night
By Kate King
CNN

Tuesday, July 18, 2006; Posted: 10:46 p.m. EDT (02:46 GMT)

(CNN) -- The Esseily family was winding up a vacation in Lebanon when the airstrikes began. Nearly a week later, they're still looking for a way to get back to California.

Tony and Monika Esseily and their three children were asleep in their apartment, nearing the end of a month-long holiday, when Israel began bombing Beirut.

"It was an extreme shock when I woke up and -- actually, we heard it," Monika Esseily told CNN. "3:20 in the morning, we got up, and the whole sky was just alit. And I'm like, 'Oh no, oh no, oh no.' "

MORE

[WindRavenX]

1. I have a friend stuck there

I am very worried :(

[blonndee]

2. I thought of Katrina when I saw the photo:

[tom_paine]

3. Not Citizens. SUBJECTS. Imperial Subjects.

To periphrase the original Tom Paine, "...for they that have not the vote are in such a condition."

Sadness. Tremendous sadness. But it's true.

[insane_cratic_gal]

4. Umm you do remember what happened w/ Katrina?

We couldn't even handle evacuating NO in our OWN country. Or Get support to them for a week.

American's aboard are lucky if we send them a can of spam and neckerchief to wipe the sweat off.

[northzax]

5. what should we do, exactly?

send in the Marines to rescue them? Sorry, but when you vacation in what has been, in essence, a low grade war zone for 30 years, BUY THE FUCKING EVACUATION INSURANCE. seriously, I do.

It is not the US government that is doing this to this family, it is the government of Israel that is bombing them. remember that, the US did not start this war, who knows who did, but it is not American bombs falling on their neighborhood. it is not the responsibility of the US government to evacuate US citizens from every problem anywhere. bad luck.

honestly, I have been in places where I would have loved to be evacuated, but I don't consider it the government's responsiblity to do that. I consider it my responsibility to get myself out, if the government wants to help, that's great, but once I leave the territorial US, I am not the US taxpayer's problem anymore.

on edit: telltale quote: "She said the U.S. Embassy should have been better prepared for the crisis." no, ma'am, you should have been better prepared.

[insane_cratic_gal]

6. What about the US NOT supporting the UN

Voting down the resolution to intervene?

Is it then not their responsibility?

People LIVE aboard, most of these people attend college there. Others work.


When you bomb the airport it does make travel difficult ,especially when your in a hot zone where the next Hamas would happily show your face on TV then give a you cab ride out of the country.


We ARE part of the problem to Destabilizing the country. You think we might owe a bit of leadership and compassion and lend some assistance to our citizens who are not to blame for the war of Political and religious ideology

[northzax]

7. sorry. but no.

the US government is offering evacuation services, subsidized by the US taxpayer. That is enough. Personally, I think we should land ten thousand marines in Lebanon, to evacuate all americans, with appropriate air support. maybe twenty thousand. Any time a US citizen is in touble, anyway, we should invade the country and secure them. At our expense. is that what you want? really?

it's BEIRUT, is a war really that big of a surprise? honestly? make some plans and deal with it. sorry. don't claim the whole 'the government isn't helping me' stuff, it's not the government's job, when you are outside the US, to protect you. Welcome to the world. it's a messy place.

[insane_cratic_gal]

8. Right

F'em is the best solution.

They were dumb enough to enter into a war zone (even if it were stable at the time, but it had "potential to be a war zone") they should just make their own way out.

Tax payer's money is already going to support the war in the ME, you think assisting people who need to leave (and who have paid taxes)would be among the budget.

I don't think we have 10k marines stable and with limbs to evac them out anyway. We have a pointless War to thank for that.

[northzax]

9. so you are saying

that you think it is the responsibility of the US government to come to the aid, at any expense, of any American, anywhere in the world? yes, or no.

travel much?

[insane_cratic_gal]

10. I think when the US is partially responsible for

putting those people in danger..

HELL yes

[northzax]

11. Israel and Hezbollah are responsible for putting those people in danger

not the US government. as hard as it is to understand, this is a war that actually doesn't involve the US at this time. Sure, we might be doing more to stop it, but honestly, we didn't start it.

[insane_cratic_gal]

12. The fact that the West supports

Israel is a point of contention, but I do find we do have some guilt to lay the steps of our own hand at creating tensions.

We've been gunning for Iran and Syria with maniacal laughter to the point of bursting at the seams for months now. You've seen Cheney! Bolton, Rummy, these are not sane minds nor heart of compassion at the helm.

Bolton has done everything is his power to render the UN pointless and hands tied on the situation there. We all know who's payroll he's on.


I still believe we have a responsibility to make a better effort to remove those who didn't buy the evacuation policy, or have the foresight to know that Israel was going to take out the Lebanese airport. Do we need 10k marines and 5k helios? No, but we can do better.

Why not allow the UN the to do what it was organized to do, intervene in times of crisis! We keep blocking this from happening, I still feel we are partly to blame because we are taking no action.

[northzax]

13. um because the UN can't intervene, really

you may have noticed that the UN doesn't actually have an army, per se, they need member countries to contribute peacekeepers. and peacekeepers won't go in until the high grade conflict ceases, at least temporarily. Plus, who's going to contribute soldiers to stand between Israel and Hezbollah? the words suicide mission come to mind.