Newest from the Embassy

I just got this in my inbox.
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The US Department of State and the US Department of Defense continue
working on a plan to help American citizens who wish to depart Lebanon to
leave in a secure and orderly manner. To assist in the development of
that operation, the U.S. Government is sending an assessment team to
Beirut to facilitate the safe departure of Americans who wish to leave.
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"Sending an assessment team"? What the hell is that supposed to mean? They're sending in the consultants. What? Are they bringing them from New York?

This doesn't sound like an evacuation. I guess we're on our own. Again, I'm not going anywhere.

Belkis was on CNN last night. She's a student from Harvard doing an internship with the UN this summer. I called her when she got here, but hadn't yet met up with her. She took a car to Syria. They were interviewing her from Damascus. I talked to Joy this morning. She was in some sort of diplomatic convoy going through Tripoli to Damascus. She said she'd e-mail me from Damascus. I don't know about Mandy. She left for Syria yesterday morning.

And all I see is George Bush on TV saying that Israel has a right to defend herself. Thanks, George, for your inane foreign policy. Maybe he can get the Israelis to airlift us out of here before they burn the whole country to the ground. The Americans I'm talking to are feeling abandoned by our government. Why has everyone else evacuated?? Parents are calling the embassy. I don't think it matters. I think it's a logistical problem. There isn't a good way to get out 25,000 people right now.