For young U.S. evacuee, concern for a pet frog

Kerry Sanders Correspondent • Profile

BEIRUT, Lebanon — As I stood at the port in Beirut on Wednesday watching the desperation on so many faces as they waited to board the Orient Queen cruise liner, I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face for one fleeting moment.

The reason? I had just met one young boy who reached into his bag and showed me who he was bringing out of Lebanon to the safety of Cyprus: a pet frog named “Spitfire.”

While they weren’t supposed to bring any animals on the ship, the tiny pet wasn't noticed. The young boy’s primary concern was to be able to set “Spitfire,” which he had found here in Lebanon, free in Cyprus. All he really wanted to do was to make sure his pet frog would be safe.

It was a moment of lightness as over 1,000 Americans boarded the Orient Queen in the first large-scale evacuation of Americans out of Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes started more than a week ago.

A sense of relief
For many of the Americans leaving Beirut, there was sense of high anxiety finally being tempered by relief.  

Teresa Douglas was making her way home to Memphis after an interrupted vacation with her Canadian boyfriend, who was being evacuated by his government.

“On one hand it was best thing that could happen — that we could both be called up at the same time — and on the other hand the worst thing to be separated,” Douglas said. "Hopefully we’ll meet up in Cyprus.”

As we said goodbye, Douglas tried to relax on the deck of the Orient Queen with a cold drink, saying it was the first opportunity that she’d really had to feel like she was not going to be wounded or killed.

Process to continue until last American out
In response to questions about the delay in American evacuations, U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman said it was complicated to arrange something such a large-scale operation, but that now things are running smoothly and the ships and the helicopters will continue to ferry Americans out until the last is out.

When asked if he had a timetable on when the evacuations would be complete, he said, “No. We will keep doing this until the last American who has expressed an interest in leaving has gotten out.”

The Orient Queen will return tomorrow, and other ships are also being chartered in an attempt to create a continual shuttle to Cyprus. 

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Iranian police break up defiant protests Clerics pose challenge to Iran leader Hamas tries to detain woman walking with man Iran president declares new era Prosecutors investigate UAE sheik over torture Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: