Evacuations from Lebanon - Pets not allowed!

7/19/06--Lebanon Evacuations: NO PETS ALLOWED!
KINSHIP CIRCLE ACTION CAMPAIGN
http://www.KinshipCircle.org

IN THIS ALERT:
1. LETTERS TO MEDIA
2. LETTERS TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
3. UPDATES

SOURCE OF INFORMATION:
Sharon Hopkins, montalice [at] tiscali.co.uk
Mary Alice, Alert from the Cornwall's Voice for Animals UK, moonflower.uk [at] virgin.net

National Post (f/k/a The Financial Post) (Canada)
Ottawa hires cruise ships for evacuation: Cyprus, then home by air:
As many as 50,000 Canadians believed to be in Lebanon
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/index.html

MESSAGE TO BRITISH NATIONALS IN LEBANON
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1063634069529

U.S. public announcements and warden messages
Lebanon Situation Update / July 18, 2006
http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/lebanon/wm071806.html

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1. LETTERS TO MEDIA
PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER TO THE MEDIA.
The media does not accept "form letters" and may reject letters on this
topic if perceived as part of an organized campaign.
================================================================

UNITED KINGDOM MEDIA
BBC Feedback Form
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4030000/newsid_4032600/4032695.stm

GMTV (Europe's biggest breakfast show)
http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=678

Duty Office ITV
Gas Street; Birmingham B1 2JT
ph: 0870 600 6766; fax: 0121 634 4898
email: dutyoffice [at] itv.com

UNITED KINGDOM - More Television & Media Links
http://www.i-uk.com/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1006977151996

UNITED KINGDOM - Media Directory Listing Websites, Addresses, Telephones, Live Links...
http://www.mediauk.com/

CANADIAN MEDIA
Letters To Editor, National Post
http://tinyurl.com/85bvu

CANADA - Links To Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, TV
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/can-am/washington/reference/media-en.asp

CANADA - Links to Newspapers
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx

UNITED STATES MEDIA
CNN News Group -- Anderson Cooper 360
1271 6th Ave, 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10020
ph: 212-522-2761; fax: 212-467-3845
web email: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?10

Larry King Live
web email: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?12

UNITED STATES - Find/Contact Local & National Media
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

================================================================
2. SAMPLE LETTER TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Feel free to use portions of our letter, but please add some original
thoughts. Hundreds of identical letters may lessen the impact.
================================================================

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0A2
ph: 613-992-4211; fax: 613-941-6900
email: pm [at] pm.gc.ca
SOURCE URL: http://pm.gc.ca/eng/contact.asp

Prime Minister Tony Blair
10 Downing Street,
London, SW1A 2AA
fax: 020 7925 0918; fax from outside the UK: +442079250918
web email: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Email_The_PM_Form.asp
SOURCE URL: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page3.asp

President George Bush
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
comments: 202-456-1111, switchboard: 202-456-1414; fax: 202-456-2461
email: comments [at] whitehouse.gov, president [at] whitehouse.gov,
vice_president [at] whitehouse.gov, firstlady [at] whitehouse.gov
web email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Embassy of Canada in Lebanon
Lot 12, Autostrade Mezzeh
ph: (011 963 11) 611-6692
Emergency Operations Centre, toll-free from Canada: 1-800-387-3124
From Lebanon, Canadians can call the Embassy at 961 (4) 713-900 or collect at 001-613-996-8885
Emergency Operations Centre: sos [at] international.gc.ca, berut [at] international.gc.ca
SOURCE URL: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/beirut/menu-en.asp

Embassy of the United Kingdom In Lebanon
British Embassy, Embassies Complex Army Street, Zkak Al-Blat, Serail Hill
PO Box 11-471
Beirut, Lebanon
ph: 00961 (0)1 990400; fax: 00961 (0)1 990420
email: britemb [at] cyberia.net.lb, Press & Public Affairs: chancery [at] cyberia.net.lb
SOURCE URL: http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1063634069529

Embassy of the United States In Lebanon
U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon
Address: Awkar facing the Municipality
P.O. Box 70-840 Antelias
ph: (961) 4 542600 - 543600; fax: (961) 4 544136
American Citizens Services: BeirutACS [at] State.Gov
Public Affairs Section: PASBeirut [at] State.Gov
SOURCE URL: http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/


ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL EMAILS IN THIS ALERT
pm [at] pm.gc.ca, comments [at] whitehouse.gov, president [at] whitehouse.gov,
vice_president [at] whitehouse.gov, firstlady [at] whitehouse.gov,
sos [at] international.gc.ca, berut [at] international.gc.ca, britemb [at] cyberia.net.lb,
chancery [at] cyberia.net.lb, BeirutACS [at] State.Gov, PASBeirut [at] State.Gov

ALL WEB EMAILS IN THIS ALERT
Prime Minister Tony Blair: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Email_The_PM_Form.asp
President George Bush: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


Honorable Officials of Canada, United Kingdom, and United States of America:

I read with dismay about government plans to evacuate Canadian, British and
American nationals without their pets. I can only surmise authorities have
forgotten the fallout from Hurricane Katrina evacuations with no provisions
for animals.

"Hurricane Katrina taught us that many people will not evacuate if they will
have to leave pets behind," U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn) stated in
support of the pending U.S. Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards
(PETS) Act.

Apparently, it was a lesson unlearned. Despite the fact a pet's survival is
often integral to the survival of his caregivers, Canadian, British, and
American evacuation protocols explicitly ban pets from joining their
families aboard vessels leaving Lebanon. As a result, foreigners are
releasing companion animals into the streets, primarily in volatile zones
where bomb strikes occur.

Some are locking animals inside homes isolated by the escalating violence.
For confined pets, death by starvation comes slowly and painfully. Beirut
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) estimates thousands of animal
companions have already been forcibly left behind.

I respectfully ask you to immediately allocate resources for responders on
the ground to assist companion animals and their human caregivers. At the
very least, please be aware of the crisis unfolding for animals and provide
emergency aid for shelter facilities in Lebanon.

Hurricane Katrina etched unforgivable images into the world's conscience: A
white dog was ripped from a boy's arms. A bewildered yellow Lab watched his
family disappear in a helicopter. An elderly woman couldn't receive medical
care unless she deserted her cats. A man and his dog swam and walked for
miles before officials ordered him to abandon his only living family member.
Hundreds of thousands of companion animals either died in the storm or its
aftermath, or were shipped to shelters around the U.S. The lack of an animal
preparedness plan was appalling.

ANY evacuation plan that overlooks animals is a bad plan. Forcing humans to
flee without their beloved pets only further traumatizes them.

I eagerly await your feedback on this matter of international concern. In
the meantime, I intend to alert the media.

Sincerely,

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UPDATES

1. United Kingdom Tells Nationals Evacuating Lebanon:
DO NOT BRING PETS
SOURCE:
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1063634069529

MESSAGE TO BRITISH NATIONALS IN LEBANON
We are conducting a phased evacuation of British Nationals from Lebanon. The
British Embassy announces that British naval vessels are evacuating further
British citizens to Cyprus from Wednesday 19 July.
* The Embassy will organise departure at the Beirut Forum Thursday 20 July
from 9.30 am. British passport holders with their immediate families,
whatever their nationality (provided they have valid travel documents),
wishing to leave should report to the Beirut Forum from 9.30. We cannot
guarantee what time the ships will sail.
* If you are able to reach the Beirut Forum before 3pm on today Wednesday
we will do our best to put you on today's ships. If we cannot do so, you
will be asked to come back tomorrow as there is no accommodation in the
Beirut Forum. We are expecting more ships in the next couple of days.
* You should bring travel documents, money/credit cards and one small bag
which would be considered hand luggage if you were boarding a plane. You
will be sent home to repack if you arrive with larger luggage.
* If you are a male British-Lebanese dual national born between 1973 and
1986, you will need to have your papers showing that you have completed your
military service or have been exempted from it.
* Do not bring pets, household staff or non-immediate family or friends
who are not British citizens, or larger bags and cases. None of these will
be allowed on the ships under any circumstances.
* You do not need to contact us again if you decide to come to the Forum today.

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2. Canada Tells Citizens Evacuating Lebanon: NO PETS
SOURCE: National Post (f/k/a The Financial Post) (Canada)
July 18, 2006 Tuesday; NEWS; Pg. A2

Ottawa hires cruise ships for evacuation: Cyprus, then home by air: As many
as 50,000 Canadians believed to be in Lebanon
Juliet O'Neill, CanWest News Service

OTTAWA - The Conservative government plans to evacuate at least 20,000 --
and as many as 50,000 -- Canadians from Lebanon to Cyprus by cruise ships,
starting tomorrow, authorities said yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said the government has chartered six
cruise ships, each with a capacity of 600 to 900 passengers, to start
picking up Canadians at the port of Beirut as of midday. They will ferry
evacuees back and forth for at least three days, possibly more.

The government doesn't know how many Canadians want out, but the number of
those registered with the government has doubled to about 25,000 in the past
few days and about 50,000 are believed to be in the country. Mr. MacKay
estimated a third of them are in the war torn south.

"The intensity right now of the bombing is such that to send people there,
even to send buses or armoured cars, we don't have that equipment on the
ground," he said.

A 16-member Canadian military contingency planning assistance team will
oversee the evacuation at each end, ensuring orderly boarding of passengers
based on a priority system that puts ill, injured or elderly people and
women and children first, he said. Passengers will be allowed minimal
luggage and no pets.

The plan is to have chartered flights at an airport in Cyprus to fly people
back to Canada, Mr. MacKay said, although that part is still a bit sketchy
and depends on numbers of people and the capacity of the airport.

For now, Canada has chartered three planes.

"Once they're on the boat, there will be time to decide whether the flights
have to take off right away, whether there might have to be an overnight.
All of those logistical plans will be worked out by the teams on the
ground," Mr. McKay said.

Responding to a string of weekend reports in which Canadians complained they
could not find out about evacuation or about their loved ones, Mr. MacKay
defended the government's communication system. He said wait times for those
calling had been reduced to five minutes, that 40 more personnel were en
route to Lebanon to help the embassy and that more than 100 "wardens" --
Canadians who live in Lebanon -- would help ensure communication among
Canadians within the country.

Mr. MacKay rejected criticism that Canadians have had to wait too long to
get in touch with the embassy or Foreign Affairs and that evacuation plans
have lagged behind other countries and might not work smoothly. He said it's
easy to criticize from the sidelines, but that simply fuels insecurity,
frustration and anger.

The United States is planning to evacuate several thousands of its citizens
from Lebanon, while groups ranging from a few dozen to several hundred have
already been rescued -- mostly overland to Syria -- by Sweden, Norway, Great
Britain, Denmark and Germany.

Officials in Jordan say about 1,200 people fleeing Lebanon through Syria
have been arriving daily. Syria puts the number of evacuees crossing its
border at about 100,000.

Raymonde Falco, Liberal citizenship and immigration critic, questioned why
Canada had no evacuation underway while other countries were taking their
citizens to safety.

Francine Lalone, Bloc Quebecois foreign affairs critic, said the
government's laxity in assembling an evacuation plan had deepened the
anguish of Canadians stranded in Lebanon.

New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton expressed condolences to the
El-Akhras family of Montreal, eight of whose members, including four young
children, were killed when a bomb hit a house on Sunday in the southern
Lebanese town of Aitaroun.

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3. The United States Orders Evacuating Citizens:
NO PETS ALLOWED TO TRAVEL
SOURCE: http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/lebanon/wm071806.html

public announcements and warden messages
Lebanon Situation Update / July 18, 2006
This Warden Message is to update Americans to the ongoing security concerns
in Lebanon. The Embassy is monitoring the situation in Lebanon closely and
is reviewing all options for assisting Americans who wish to depart Lebanon.
The U.S. Department of State continues to work with the U.S. Department of
Defense on a plan to help American citizens safely depart Lebanon.
Additional information on departure plans, as it becomes available, will be
released via the media, Embassy warden announcements, and on the Embassy
website. The Department of State continues to work around the clock to
ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens.

Beirut International Airport, which is severely damaged by bombings, remains
closed. Americans who wish to depart Lebanon should prepare important travel
documents such as a valid U.S. passport, birth certificates, and other civil
documents such as marriage certificates, and medical records.

Once U.S.-sponsored travel arrangements are in place, travelers will each be
allowed only one small suitcase. We give priority to U.S. citizens but will
consider departure assistance to Legal Permanent Residents accompanying a
U.S. citizen immediate family member. ONE guardian may accompany an American
citizen minor, even if that guardian is not an American. The guardian must
have a valid passport and a U.S. visa, if traveling to the U.S. We
understand that neither Lebanese nor Americans need a visa to enter Cyprus.
Pets will not be allowed to travel.

The Department of State has issued an updated Travel Warning, available at
http://travel.state.gov, alerting American citizens that, due to ongoing
security concerns in Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy has been granted authorized
departure status. Family members and non-emergency American employees have
permission to depart Lebanon.

We continue to urge Americans to remain in a safe location. Although we
understand that Syria is willing to admit Americans without visas, there
have been reports of damage to the border crossings at Mesnaa and along the
northern Lebanon-Syrian border. However, if people encounter difficulty at
the border crossing into Syria, they should contact the American Embassy in
Damascus at 963-11-333-1342. Americans who attempt such crossings are
advised to exercise great caution when traveling on major roads as they are
subject to an air strike at any time.

The U.S. Embassy remains open for business; however, Nonimmigrant Visa
processing has been suspended. American Citizen Services and Immigrant Visa
processing are functioning normally. American citizens are urged to continue
to evaluate their personal security and to keep in contact with the U.S.
Embassy for continuing information on developments.

For the latest security information, Americans should regularly monitor the
Department's web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide
Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be
found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling
1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and
Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. The available time for these
numbers of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday
(except U.S./federal holidays) has been extended to 24 hours a day until
further notice.

Americans living or traveling in Lebanon who wish assistance departing
Lebanon and have not yet registered are encouraged to register with
Department of State by calling 888-407-4747 in the United States or
202-501-4444 outside the United States.


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Remembering Shannon Moore
http://memoriesofshannon.blogspot.com/

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