Posted on 07/16/2006 8:39:10 AM PDT by SmithL
BEIRUT, Lebanon - U.S. security teams arrived by helicopter Sunday at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to start planning the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.
Witnesses said two helicopters flew over the Mediterranean and landed on the embassy grounds, located on a fortified hilltop in the north Beirut suburb of Aukar.
"The arrival of the teams is an important first step in facilitating the safe departure of Americans who want to leave Lebanon," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.
It said the teams would arrange for "secure transportation for American citizens who wish to depart Lebanon." There are an estimated 25,000 Americans living or working in Lebanon. U.S. officials said they assume that only a small number will choose to leave.
"We obviously have plans and contingency plans should we need to bring people out," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters at the Group of Eight summit in Russia. "I get reports on this every couple of hours as to how this is going. Our ambassador who is on the ground will obviously do what we need to protect Americans."
About 350 people - most of them Europeans - were evacuated Saturday night and early Sunday from Lebanon to the neighboring island of Cyprus aboard Italian military flights. The United States has said Americans also would be evacuated from Lebanon to Cyprus.
Israeli airstrikes have closed down Beirut's international airport and targeted the main highway to neighboring Syria. Israel also imposed a naval blockade on Lebanon.
The State Department said Friday that Americans in Lebanon should consider leaving when it was safe. Officials made contingency plans to evacuate people who cannot leave on their own. Family members and non-emergency American employees of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon have been given permission to leave.
Israel began striking Lebanon after Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid Wednesday. The guerrillas have struck back at Israeli cities, and on Sunday fired a barrage of rockets into the northern Israeli city of Haifa, escalating the conflict.
The one who was sitting by the pool until the bombs fell? According to her everything was 'the Americans' fault!
Reb .. FNC reported that two choppers have landed at the US Embassy with security teams who will direct the evacuation of Americans. Hopefully, you're registered with them. I'll be praying for your safe return to the Windy City ... the place I call home, too. Godspeed!
I hope those evacuation teams are mighty careful when they start to ferry our citizens out of there. It sure looks like a whole lot of people on all sides are spoiling for a fight now and nothing would make the liberal media go ballistic with the war drums like a bunch of American citizens being harmed.
Funny how the media wants the US out of Iraq but is leading the charge for intervention here...
Otto Skorzeny was the man who rescued Mussolini from the allies and later shipped the German gold out of Europe. He is also the fellow who infiltrated the Polish frontier the night before the war began and with his team wearing Polish uniforms attacked the German border posts. This gave Hitler his excuse to go to war with Poland the next day.
This idea of pulling the Americans out by helicopter risks too much for too little. Especially when nobody knows who or what is running around on the ground. With superior firepower best to just go slow and easy and let the liberal media rant all they want to. Most Americans don't want to turn around a week from now and see US troops in Lebanon like they were in 1959 and 1982.
Of course a few liberal elitists in some very high non governmental places do...
Gold trading opens in Asia in about six hours. Should be a big week for honest money.
HG
Guess you're going to have to keep monitoring your channels for the latest updates .. sorry, it's not looking promising immediately .. and Godspeed. Hang in there. Please keep us posted.
Yup just EXACTLY what I had in Mind !!!!!
Wonder what her DUmmie name is?
Notice the ramp mounted Ma Deuce on this CH-53E.
My father's last job before retiring was to write the maintenance manuals for the Apache and Blackhawks. He's the expert not me...
Most of the military helo's carry "pods" that can house different weapons, but I'm sure they will be under orders not to fire unless fired upon. Chain guns, Miniguns and hellfire rockets are just a few of their options.
They almost all carry magnesesium flares as a defence from heat seeking missles.
In general, the hand held weapons the Arabs have are not very effective on helo's (AK/RPK/PKM & such). It really takes a 12.5mm (like out 50cal machine gun), RPG or missle/rocket to effectively bring one down. "Blackhawk Down" was a RPG at close range.
I doubt you'll see a mass evec by helo's. 25,000 people would just get too risky. It would take days and that would give Hell'sBoli too much time to set up a real offence.
Thank you for responding to my question. I really appreciate it.
Godspeed!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665196/posts?page=645#645 645 posted on 07/15/2006 2:14:19 PM PDT by rebel_yell2
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