I just about spewed my coffee when I read on Linkmeister’s blog that our government, which is lagging behind all others in getting its citizens out of Lebanon, is going to charge evacuees for the privilege.
Thinking that this might be some kind of media screw-up or urban legend, I went to the U.S. Embassy website.
The deep concern for its citizens just oozes out of every pore:
The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date.
After all, we’re in trillions of dollars of debt. We don’t want to start giving away free cruises. Good grief.
EDIT: Looks like they had a change of heart after the flood of complaints (including from New Hampshire Republican John Sununu). Funny how they’re trying to blame a 1956 law for requiring reimbursement when that part was actually amended by the Republican Congress and signed by Bush in 2002. H.R.1646 (which Sununu voted against, btw).
Oh, that pesky Library of Congress and its recording of history…
**bangs head against the nearest wall**
I have to agree with the government on this one. The government is only in control of the things in its own borders. If you want the government to do things for you then stay in the country. Especially if you’re going to be in a country that hosts terrorists and can easily become a war zone. I’d charge at the gate…eventually people’ll learn to get themselves out of harms way.
What about people there for other reasons than personal ones? I can think of a host of reasons why someone might be there.
Typical of this government — spend billions on a fruitless war and then bill US citizens to protect them. Did they bill people in Saigon? I don’t think so.
Crap…that’s really bad news. I was getting all set to head to Beirut to catch the next free battleship to Cypress.
At least Halliburton earns their money…what is we pay them…$10,000 a seat?
CNN is reporting that Condi suddenly realized what sort of lousy PR this was and said the fees would be waived. See my post for an update.