The Ledge - Israel/Lebanon

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OK, let's try to have an intelligent calm discussion about this, shall we?

So. I must repost what Gldstwmn posted before the thread was locked:

Quote:

CNN is reporting that there are Israeli ground troops going into southern Lebanon. And this photograph breaks my heart:

The Esseily family anxiously awaits evacuation from Beirut.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/...ily/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)

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.' "

Beirut's airport was closed after Israel warplanes bombed its runways, and every night is punctuated by the sound of airstrikes.

"I have two kids [and] a baby, and they're scared. I'm scared," Esseily said. "First time I've ever encountered something like this."

OK. So./ I hope they are safe, and I hope they get home soon.

BUT.

What the F*CK are they doing on vacation in Lebanon?!?! I'm assuming they have family there? Perhaps? Because that is the one & only reason I could see to go on vacation in LEBANON! The place has been a war zone on & off since I was a kid, I certainly wouldn't be going there on holiday.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

OK, let's try to have an intelligent calm discussion about this, shall we?

So. I must repost what Gldstwmn posted before the thread was locked:

OK. So./ I hope they are safe, and I hope they get home soon.

BUT.

What the F*CK are they doing on vacation in Lebanon?!?! I'm assuming they have family there? Perhaps? Because that is the one & only reason I could see to go on vacation in LEBANON! The place has been a war zone on & off since I was a kid, I certainly wouldn't be going there on holiday.

I seem to remember a story about a family that made it out into Turkey, but that they were semi-harrased by the Turkish border guards. I know they have to be careful for terorists, but I would think they would realize that those peoepl trying to get out werent terrorists.:shrug: And Turkey is a friendly country to the U.S too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

Actuallu, from what I hear, it's really beautiful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

What the F*CK are they doing on vacation in Lebanon?!?! I'm assuming they have family there? Perhaps? Because that is the one & only reason I could see to go on vacation in LEBANON! The place has been a war zone on & off since I was a kid, I certainly wouldn't be going there on holiday.

Apparently, some of the others stuck there are students; they went to Lebanon to study.

The only Mideast country I'd take a vacation to is Israel. The others are virtually all varying degrees of anti-West & anti-Westerner. Even Egypt, the most moderate & Western of Arab countries, is a place I'd avoid (although I'd love to see the pyramids & tombs & so forth).

I'm not a brave, daring tourist: I don't want to vacation in the Mideast, in much of Indonesia, in much of South America, in any of Central America, in most of Mexico, most of Africa, etc. I have no desire to brave crime, corruption, hatred & poverty in foreign lands---I can see all of that here!

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

what he said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Actuallu, from what I hear, it's really beautiful.

I'm sure it is. But there are other beautiful places where you don't have as great a chance of getting shot at or bombed. :shrug: I just wonder why, that's all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

I'm sure it is. But there are other beautiful places where you don't have as great a chance of getting shot at or bombed. :shrug: I just wonder why, that's all.

I would imagine they have family there. If not I'm also at a loss as to why you would take your family on a vacation there. Maybe yourself but not little kids. They must have family there!

why are they having such a hard time getting out? cant they just go along with all the other US citizens being "escorted" out of the country to Cyprus?

Okay people, read the article. They wanted their son baptized there, he is 9 mos. The father is from Lebanon and the mother is American. In fact the whole family lived in Lebanon from 1993 to 2001. There are 25,000 Americans there so it is taking time to get them out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

OK, makes a bit more sense now. I thought the entire article had been posted, I just licked the link.

I still don't know if I would've taken that chance. But I'm not in their shoes, and I hope they make it back to the U.S. safely.

Until Israel started bombing the crap out of the local populace chasing something they're not going to catch, Lebanon was a reasonably safe place to go to, and a fairly popular tourist destination for those seeking a moderately off-the-beaten-track holiday. Lots of history there, for instance. A friend of mine recently went there for a couple of weeks.