8 Canadians killed in Israeli airstrikes, Ottawa sends ships for evacuation
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U.S. Contracts Cruise Ship For Possible Lebanon Evacuations
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2006/20060717_5677.html
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2006 – The United States has contracted a commercial ship to assist in a possible mass evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.
The cruise ship Orient Queen is expected to arrive in the area of operations sometime tomorrow, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. The ship can accommodate hundreds of passengers and may be used to ferry U.S. evacuees from the port of Beirut to the island of Cyprus.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gonzalez has been tasked to escort the Orient Queen as a force-protection measure, Whitman said.
A number of options, including the use of commercial ships as well as military vessels, are being considered as means of evacuating U.S. citizens from Lebanon, Navy Lt. Jereal Dorsey, a spokesman for Task Force 59, based on Cyprus, said.
More on link
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2006/20060717_5677.html
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2006 – The United States has contracted a commercial ship to assist in a possible mass evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.
The cruise ship Orient Queen is expected to arrive in the area of operations sometime tomorrow, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. The ship can accommodate hundreds of passengers and may be used to ferry U.S. evacuees from the port of Beirut to the island of Cyprus.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gonzalez has been tasked to escort the Orient Queen as a force-protection measure, Whitman said.
A number of options, including the use of commercial ships as well as military vessels, are being considered as means of evacuating U.S. citizens from Lebanon, Navy Lt. Jereal Dorsey, a spokesman for Task Force 59, based on Cyprus, said.
More on link
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Of course , we cannot make any sweeping statements about the Canadians killed in Lebanon...but pays to remember, that Israel is not "targeting" civilians...regrettably this is the price of war. Especially one in which the enemy..the Hezbollah..is fond of setting up their headquarters in civilian neighbourhoods..all the better to denouce Israel for murdering civilians. Like they care.
Interesting the reaction of Hassan El-Akhras, as he found out about the deaths while participating in a march demanding that Canada and the international community condemn Israel for defending itself against Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets.:
''My cousin just called me to say my father, two of my aunts, my uncle and his son are now martyrs,'' Mr. El-Akhras was quoted as saying, leaving no doubt about his own political sympathies.
As George Jonas of the National Post comments:
"Perhaps Mr. El-Akhras shouldn't push martyrdom - not unless he wishes to suggest his family members weren't vacationers at all, but volunteers in the propaganda war against Israel."
Sorry if I sound hard, but certain things are worth fighting for..and dying for. If the leftist MSM had had the same presence in WWII , reporting every heartwrenching case of a German child caught in RAF raids, many of us would be enjoying life in concentration and extermination camps as we speak.
Interesting the reaction of Hassan El-Akhras, as he found out about the deaths while participating in a march demanding that Canada and the international community condemn Israel for defending itself against Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets.:
''My cousin just called me to say my father, two of my aunts, my uncle and his son are now martyrs,'' Mr. El-Akhras was quoted as saying, leaving no doubt about his own political sympathies.
As George Jonas of the National Post comments:
"Perhaps Mr. El-Akhras shouldn't push martyrdom - not unless he wishes to suggest his family members weren't vacationers at all, but volunteers in the propaganda war against Israel."
Sorry if I sound hard, but certain things are worth fighting for..and dying for. If the leftist MSM had had the same presence in WWII , reporting every heartwrenching case of a German child caught in RAF raids, many of us would be enjoying life in concentration and extermination camps as we speak.
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Just caught part of a Newsworld newscast, saying an Israeli trooper killed in the Lebanon campaign was a Canadian, who used to spend his summers in Montreal.
Anyone heard anything more on this?
Anyone heard anything more on this?
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Bit more detail on the evac ships, shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act - http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/act-e.html#rid-33409
Government leases six ships to evacuate Canadians from war-torn Lebanon
JOAN BRYDEN, macleans.ca, July 17, 2006 - 18:36
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/news/shownews.jsp?content=w071795A
OTTAWA (CP) - Six chartered passenger ships will be positioned off the coast of Lebanon beginning Wednesday to evacuate up to 4,500 trapped Canadians a day from strife-torn country.
Foreign Affairs officials said Monday that the plan, for now, is to evacuate Canadians by ship from the port of Beirut. They will be taken to Cyprus, where three aircraft have been leased to fly them home.
But officials acknowledged there is no plan yet to get Canadians safely from southern Lebanon, the region hardest hit by Israeli missiles, to the country's capital.
Canada believes any attempt at an evacuation from the southern cities of Tyr and Saida would be perilous because the port infrastructure has been destroyed in both places.
Consequently, Canadian officials say they are seeking assurances of safe passage through southern Lebanon to Beirut from all "belligerents" in the crisis.
They are also talking to non-governmental organizations, such as the Red Cross, about the most secure route out of southern Lebanon.
Moreover, sources said a military reconnaissance squad was dispatched Monday to Lebanon to provide security and logistical advice for the evacuation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said the government is also seeking assurances from Israel and Lebanon that the ships conveying Canadian refugees will not be targeted.
"We want assurances that those ships will be protected and afforded the utmost safety," he said on CBC Newsworld.
Sources said one or more Canadian warships might be sent to provide an escort for the refugee ships, although no Canadian warships are currently in the vicinity and would take a week or more to get there.
Those ships would be equipped with helicopters that could fly overhead and warn of any incoming missile or rocket fire.
At least 50,000 Canadians are believed to be in Lebanon, but officials said most are dual-citizens who live there permanently and many likely won't want to leave.
About 5,000 Canadians are thought to be visiting the country and officials expect they will make up the bulk of those who choose to flee the violence. Seven Canadian visitors were killed Sunday during Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Foreign Affairs was advising Canadians in Lebanon on Monday to expect notification about an evacuation within 24 hours. In the meantime, Canadians were advised to stay indoors and keep their travel documents in order and readily available.
Opposition critics accused the government of reacting sluggishly to the plight of Canadians trapped in Lebanon. Liberal leadership hopeful Scott Brison accused the government of "dawdling" on an evacuation plan, thereby endangering the lives of Canadians.
"British ships and French ships are evacuating people right now," Brison said in an interview.
"This is the kind of situation where minutes and hours count and our government is days behind."
France, Italy, Sweden and Denmark had already begun evacuating their citizens on Monday and the United States was expected to begin evacuating Americans on Tuesday.
Canada's evacuation will not begin until mid-week, and only if assurances of safe passage are received. But officials bristled at suggestions they've been slow off the mark.
"We've put together a plan that provides the safest and securest means of getting Canadians out," said one official at a background briefing for reporters.
The department took the unusual move of allowing reporters and cameras into its emergency operations centre, where all calls from Canadians in Lebanon, as well as from their worried relatives in Canada, are being fielded.
Officials said they have up to 16 people answering the phones 24 hours a day, quadruple the number of operations officers who normally take calls. As of mid-day Monday, they'd taken 6,463 calls since last Thursday. Another 4,600 e-mails had been received.
MacKay said he's "very proud" that people in his department volunteered to man the phone lines over the weekend.
"Officials at Foreign Affairs are extremely dedicated. They understand the trauma, the human turmoil that is taking place in people's lives inside Lebanon," he said.
MacKay suggested Canada faces a "unique" challenge because of the large number of Canadians in Lebanon, almost 25,000 of whom have registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut.
But officials acknowledged other countries have similar numbers who've registered with their embassies.
Government leases six ships to evacuate Canadians from war-torn Lebanon
JOAN BRYDEN, macleans.ca, July 17, 2006 - 18:36
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/news/shownews.jsp?content=w071795A
OTTAWA (CP) - Six chartered passenger ships will be positioned off the coast of Lebanon beginning Wednesday to evacuate up to 4,500 trapped Canadians a day from strife-torn country.
Foreign Affairs officials said Monday that the plan, for now, is to evacuate Canadians by ship from the port of Beirut. They will be taken to Cyprus, where three aircraft have been leased to fly them home.
But officials acknowledged there is no plan yet to get Canadians safely from southern Lebanon, the region hardest hit by Israeli missiles, to the country's capital.
Canada believes any attempt at an evacuation from the southern cities of Tyr and Saida would be perilous because the port infrastructure has been destroyed in both places.
Consequently, Canadian officials say they are seeking assurances of safe passage through southern Lebanon to Beirut from all "belligerents" in the crisis.
They are also talking to non-governmental organizations, such as the Red Cross, about the most secure route out of southern Lebanon.
Moreover, sources said a military reconnaissance squad was dispatched Monday to Lebanon to provide security and logistical advice for the evacuation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said the government is also seeking assurances from Israel and Lebanon that the ships conveying Canadian refugees will not be targeted.
"We want assurances that those ships will be protected and afforded the utmost safety," he said on CBC Newsworld.
Sources said one or more Canadian warships might be sent to provide an escort for the refugee ships, although no Canadian warships are currently in the vicinity and would take a week or more to get there.
Those ships would be equipped with helicopters that could fly overhead and warn of any incoming missile or rocket fire.
At least 50,000 Canadians are believed to be in Lebanon, but officials said most are dual-citizens who live there permanently and many likely won't want to leave.
About 5,000 Canadians are thought to be visiting the country and officials expect they will make up the bulk of those who choose to flee the violence. Seven Canadian visitors were killed Sunday during Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Foreign Affairs was advising Canadians in Lebanon on Monday to expect notification about an evacuation within 24 hours. In the meantime, Canadians were advised to stay indoors and keep their travel documents in order and readily available.
Opposition critics accused the government of reacting sluggishly to the plight of Canadians trapped in Lebanon. Liberal leadership hopeful Scott Brison accused the government of "dawdling" on an evacuation plan, thereby endangering the lives of Canadians.
"British ships and French ships are evacuating people right now," Brison said in an interview.
"This is the kind of situation where minutes and hours count and our government is days behind."
France, Italy, Sweden and Denmark had already begun evacuating their citizens on Monday and the United States was expected to begin evacuating Americans on Tuesday.
Canada's evacuation will not begin until mid-week, and only if assurances of safe passage are received. But officials bristled at suggestions they've been slow off the mark.
"We've put together a plan that provides the safest and securest means of getting Canadians out," said one official at a background briefing for reporters.
The department took the unusual move of allowing reporters and cameras into its emergency operations centre, where all calls from Canadians in Lebanon, as well as from their worried relatives in Canada, are being fielded.
Officials said they have up to 16 people answering the phones 24 hours a day, quadruple the number of operations officers who normally take calls. As of mid-day Monday, they'd taken 6,463 calls since last Thursday. Another 4,600 e-mails had been received.
MacKay said he's "very proud" that people in his department volunteered to man the phone lines over the weekend.
"Officials at Foreign Affairs are extremely dedicated. They understand the trauma, the human turmoil that is taking place in people's lives inside Lebanon," he said.
MacKay suggested Canada faces a "unique" challenge because of the large number of Canadians in Lebanon, almost 25,000 of whom have registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut.
But officials acknowledged other countries have similar numbers who've registered with their embassies.
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simoncat said:
It is also interesting to note that the southern town in which they died, Aitaroun, is directly on the border with Israel and this town for all intents and purposes has been under Hezbollah control for at least the last 6 years.
So I guess considering Mr. El-Akhras use of the word "martyr", we can surmise that at the very least his relatives were in the vicinity of Hezbollah terrorists and it would not be a stretch to consider them sympathizers of Hezbollah, which if I am not mistaken, our government is on record as declaring a TERRORIST organization.
Vacation indeed.
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A lesser-know CENTCOM side-tasking....
http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/Lists/Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=3396&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecentcom%2Emil%2Fsites%2Fuscentcom1%2FLists%2FPress%2520Releases%2FCurrent%2520Releases%2Easpx
TASK FORCE 59 AIDS IN DEPARTURE OF 42 AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM LEBANON
7/17/2006
CYPRUS -- Today two Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters aided in the voluntary departure of 42 American citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The citizens were transported here where processing and accommodations were coordinated with the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. Working in cooperation with U.S. Embassies in Lebanon and Cyprus, Commander Task Force 59, U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Carl Jensen, is leading joint U.S. military coordination efforts from Cyprus. The Marine helicopters are part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) currently in the middle of a six-month deployment to the European and Central Command theaters of operation. American forces are in the operating in the area at the request of the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon. The mission of U.S. forces here is to assist American citizens who wish to voluntarily depart Lebanon. In addition to their primary mission, the safety and security of both American citizens and forces is a top priority.
http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/Lists/Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=3396&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecentcom%2Emil%2Fsites%2Fuscentcom1%2FLists%2FPress%2520Releases%2FCurrent%2520Releases%2Easpx
TASK FORCE 59 AIDS IN DEPARTURE OF 42 AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM LEBANON
7/17/2006
CYPRUS -- Today two Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters aided in the voluntary departure of 42 American citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The citizens were transported here where processing and accommodations were coordinated with the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. Working in cooperation with U.S. Embassies in Lebanon and Cyprus, Commander Task Force 59, U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Carl Jensen, is leading joint U.S. military coordination efforts from Cyprus. The Marine helicopters are part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) currently in the middle of a six-month deployment to the European and Central Command theaters of operation. American forces are in the operating in the area at the request of the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon. The mission of U.S. forces here is to assist American citizens who wish to voluntarily depart Lebanon. In addition to their primary mission, the safety and security of both American citizens and forces is a top priority.
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If you fled Lebanon and got a Cdn passport and have now returned to Lebanon then your not Canadian. The easy end is to cancel all those passports.
I watched that relative of the dead Canadians yaping on the news today and she claimed that the Hezbollah soldiers around the house were their to protect her family......?....and she wonders why a rocket landed on the house!
I watched that relative of the dead Canadians yaping on the news today and she claimed that the Hezbollah soldiers around the house were their to protect her family......?....and she wonders why a rocket landed on the house!
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Based on what appears to be very selective targeting on the part of the Israelis, you have to wonder how many of these "civilian casualties" are either non-uniformed members of Hezbollah (or foreign governments) or are civilians supportive of their cause who are standing around cheering rocket launches when an Israeli JDAM drops in from above to spoil the party.
Matthew. ???
Matthew. ???
Judging by the articles and comments here, the news and paper reports, that seems very likely. It is not all of them by any stretch of the imagination, but if you take 1/2 of 1% of the 20,000 mentioned by Peter McKay on CBC, that still is 100 too many.
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Let's even be charitable - how about people caught in places Hezbollah uses as cover?
There's a real question mark there isn't there? Granted some are aligned or supportive, but a lot more are just people hoping for a holiday. They don't wear badges or anything, so there is no way of telling them apart.
When they speak out in favor of Hezbollah, yeah, then you have a case, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that to make the most of a Canadian passport, all they have to do is make noise like a stranded vacationer.
When they speak out in favor of Hezbollah, yeah, then you have a case, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that to make the most of a Canadian passport, all they have to do is make noise like a stranded vacationer.
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Here are some more statements attributed to a relative:
"Everybody blames Hezbollah," said Maysoun Al-Akhrass. "Hezbollah is our protector.
"It's they who try to protect my family."
Well, that's enough for me. My sympathy meter for this particular family is being reset to ZERO.
Quotes came from this article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060717/ca_pr_on_na/lebanon_cda_killed
"Everybody blames Hezbollah," said Maysoun Al-Akhrass. "Hezbollah is our protector.
"It's they who try to protect my family."
Well, that's enough for me. My sympathy meter for this particular family is being reset to ZERO.
Quotes came from this article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060717/ca_pr_on_na/lebanon_cda_killed
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That is a rather broad and sweeping generalization, wouldn't you agree? Would you state that the same applies to Afghan-Canadians returning to Afghanistan to assist in reconstruction? (I'm aware of the situation with the Khadr's). Or what about people of developed nations (Germany, England, Australia) who hold Canadian passports. If they return to their home countries to work/live etc, should they be required to renounce their citizenship?. A friend of mine has lived in Asia (several different countries) for over twenty years. Aside from yearly visits to family in Canada, he hasn't lived in Canada since he graduated from university. Is he Canadian? Should he give up his passport?
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A further thought......
The relatives are demanding that there be a government inquiry and I agree wholeheartedly.
The government should INQUIRE about the background of this family. Start by taking a much closer look at the convenient MISPELLING of the family name between the members living in Montreal and those still living in Lebanon.
And another one......
Hezbollah DECLARED an open war on Israel almost 2 days before these people died. Yet they openly admit to supporting Hezbollah and saying that Hezbollah are their protectors. THEY were the ones who put their young children in harms way.
The relatives are demanding that there be a government inquiry and I agree wholeheartedly.
The government should INQUIRE about the background of this family. Start by taking a much closer look at the convenient MISPELLING of the family name between the members living in Montreal and those still living in Lebanon.
And another one......
Hezbollah DECLARED an open war on Israel almost 2 days before these people died. Yet they openly admit to supporting Hezbollah and saying that Hezbollah are their protectors. THEY were the ones who put their young children in harms way.
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CanadaPhil said:
+1 for me too....
Matthew.
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