E-mail from a fellow American who got out Saturday

I am writing from a web cafe in Amsterdam, and on my way to LA. Was
unfortunately affected by panicky travelling companion and parents, or
I'd
still be in Damascus, sorting out plans in a more rational way, and
after
having slept and eaten well. Not sure I made the right decision, but
I'll see.

Warden message to follow.

PS, I probably won't have e-mail access again until I reach LA on
Wednesday
night (Thursday morning your time), so you'll have to turn to someone
who's in
Beirut for answers about what to do. My opinion is that you should
leave for
now, and you can wait to see what happens, while you're somewhere else
in the
region, or home. The foreigners I know who are staying are either
married or
engaged to Lebanese, and so have families to care for them, or are
journalists,
and therefore working on reporting events. You're not either, though
you know
a lot of families.

My worry about things at present is that it's unclear where they're
headed. The
seige and bombing is already leading to shortages of food and goods in
places,
and that will only worsen and prices rise. There are lots of relief
efforts
going on, and they'll be increasingly needed. There will be less and
less
electricity and water. I don't imagine living conditions are going to
be
pleasant in the hot summer weather, with people afraid of going
outdoors. Then
there is the obvious danger of the bombings. You don't know what the
Israeli
plans are, and it's hard to know how broadly they will destroy the
infrastructure. There is also the risk that the current nationalistic
feeling
will devolve into factionalism if Hizballah split, or some Christian
faction
decided to do something. I also worry that the Israelis are trying to
assassinate the currently leaders of Hizballah, and that if they
succeed, the
party may fall apart into small factions, or take a different approach
to
things. If that happens, I wouldn't want to be there.

You've seen the bombings, you'll have to figure out what you're
comfortable
with. Just be sure that you're happy with your decision. You don't
want to
stay and then change your mind after all the embassies are closed and
most of
the foreigners gone.

Good luck.