Well, now you know.

We charge people all of the time to rescue them when they go where they are advised not to go:

Ignore the warnings off Sunset Cliffs sometime, and when the SDPD comes to rescue you, there will be a bill.

Americans traveling to the Middle East do so at their own peril and have been advised NOT to do so for a very long time.

You failed to note that US citizens LEGALLY there under the official auspices were evacuated using the same rational that President Carter used in deploying the helicopters to rescue the hostage in Iran.

Godiva, what do YOU want done?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 18 2006, 01:14 PM) [snapback]288220[/snapback]</div>

I'm wondering exactly which White House Administration the policy of charging back for emergency evacuation transportation was enacted? Has it ever been provided as a "free" service?

Are you proposing that taxpayers automatically foot the bill for full transportation of these people back to the US city of their choice, when, far more likely than not, they can well afford to pay their own way home?

When traveling abroad (including a trip that included Israel last year), I assume certain risks involved, including the possibility of emergency transportation home. Why would I ever expect the US goverment to automatically "insure" against that possibility?

 

Carefully ignored was this, earlier missive:

"Events in Lebanon underscore the need for caution and sound personal security precautions. Since March 2005, there have been 13 separate bombings in Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 people and injuries to more than 100 others.

American citizens should keep a low profile, varying times and routes for all required travel. Americans should also pay close attention to their personal security at locations where Westerners are generally known to congregate, and should avoid demonstrations and large gatherings.

U.S. citizens who are in Lebanon despite this Travel Warning should exercise heightened caution when traveling in parts of the southern suburbs of Beirut, portions of the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon, and the cities of Sidon and Tripoli. Hizballah has not been disarmed, it maintains a strong presence in many of these areas, and there is the potential for action by other extremist groups in Tripoli.

Palestinian groups hostile to both the Lebanese government and the U.S. operate largely autonomously inside refugee camps in different areas of the country. Intra-communal violence within the camps has resulted in violent incidents such as shootings and explosions. Occasionally this violence spills over into neighboring cities and towns. "

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 18 2006, 01:33 PM) [snapback]288319[/snapback]</div>

I think that the French and Greek vessel were available; the USA is sending warships.

Nice thing about cruise ships is the accommodations are much nicer...

trust me on this, after 22 years in the navy and being on the warships, they are more comfortable on the cruisers B)


Hope Hizbollah doesn't target the relief ships.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 18 2006, 04:33 PM) [snapback]288319[/snapback]</div>

why do you always look for negatives?

 

The administration states the following:

"payments -- or 'reimbursements' -- to the State Department were mandated under the 2003 Foreign Relations Authorization Act passed by Congress."

I haven't verified if this is true.

Tom

 

This reminds me of two doofii American dudes I came across on the island of Majorca, Spain while on a Navy Mediterranean cruise in 1979.

They had a sob story about how they had been bopping around Europe for several months and had run out of money . . . and asked if they could get a ride back to the US on the aircraft carrier.

They weren't very happy when my friends and I told them it was not possible and that we were still going to be in the Mediterranean for a few more months before we returned to Norfolk, Virginia.

They said they wouldn't mind staying on the ship for a couple of months – in fact it sounded “kind of cool floating around an visiting other ports.â€

They actually tried to pull rank by saying that they were US citizens and that we were government employees, and that we were required to bring their request up to our superiors. :lol: :lol: :lol: :blink:

#1) Americans in Lebanon are not required to leave.
#2) You don't have to take the Embassy's offer of securing transportation. Do it yourself if you can.
#3) What American does international travel and expects their government to get them home for free? (Oh, yeah, read about the doofii above.)

So your itinerary has changed . . . SO WHAT!

I wonder how many of the evacuees are bitching about having to pay.
I bet most are glad to get the hell out of there, whatever the cost.

 

Oddly, I tend to agree with Godiva on this one...

Yeah, ok, you're a dumbass if you choose Lebanon for your vacation, but would it REALLY cost that much to bum some ship somewhere to pick up what I imagine can't be more than a few thousand US Citizens? Heck, at the very least, allow them to hop on in with the Brits back to the UK...

 

according to CNN, which we're watching at the moment, there are 25 THOUSAND americans in lebanon.

Wth???

and apparently the government is no longer requiring that evacuees sign a promissory note. but i wonder if they'll be audited on their taxes for the next decade...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 18 2006, 04:50 PM) [snapback]288423[/snapback]</div>

Do you or Pelosi have any idea what it takes to get a ship of any size underway and prepared for evacuees?

All of your screaming here will not impeach Bush, nor will it hasten the rscue of those people. Write some letters, if you must.

The State Department memo you quoted is a standard, stock statement on repatriation. I do not know if any one ever was billed for being rescued in this manner.

Known US personnel, legally 'in country' were evacuated.

I do not understand why you think we are dragging our feet in going after the Americans

At this rate, I suspect you will have an electronic stroke.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jul 18 2006, 05:33 PM) [snapback]288446[/snapback]</div>

I hope so...

 

Well, now the goverment has caved to pressure and it was just reported that they will not charge for transporting our citizens. However, now the issue is how far behind other countries we are in getting our people out.

Maybe W has a secret plan, and our 25k U.S. Citizens are covert operatives that are going to suddenly rise up and attach Hezbollah!

I am just worried that Hezbollah is going to launch a missile at one of those rescue ships, most likely ours!

WW3 will then come for sure!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jul 18 2006, 08:33 PM) [snapback]288446[/snapback]</div>

That number does not surprise me, why does it surprise you?

It's the peak of the summer travel season and people often travel back to their homelands (even if now US citizens or children of immigrants) to visit relatives.

I'm sure there are also thousands of US citizens in any given country at any given time there on business travel.

A friend who traveled with our group to Egypt last February had been to Beirut in November 2004 to visit family. To my surprise, he said the city had rebuilt and recovered remarkably from all the destruction 25 years earlier and that it was a beautiful city to visit.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 18 2006, 10:36 PM) [snapback]288500[/snapback]</div>

Compared to Canada, Sweden, the U.K. and the Netherlands, I wonder if COMBINED they had anywhere near as many of their nationals in Lebanon as the US (25K as reported above)?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse @ Jul 19 2006, 09:46 AM) [snapback]288618[/snapback]</div>

It's being reported that 30,000 Canadians have registered with the embassy in Beirut.

Of course, even up here everyone's complaining that the evactuation is taking too long and is completely disorganized.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kam @ Jul 19 2006, 10:34 AM) [snapback]288645[/snapback]</div>

That's interesting to note. If you believed certain posters here, it's only the US that ever has such problems and only under certain Administrations.