Second country may offer to take Lebanon evacuees

BEIRUT, July 21 (Reuters) A second country may offer to take evacuees from Lebanon and help ease the burden on Cyprus, which has been flooded with thousands of foreigners fleeing Israeli air raids, US officials said today.

''It's another country in the area. We may know as early as today or tomorrow,'' said Brigadier General Carl Jensen, in charge of the US operation to remove thousands of Americans out of Beirut.

He would not name the country but US diplomatic sources said it was most likely Turkey, where a Canadian ship with evacuees had already docked.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has warned it may not be able to handle the increasing numbers of evacuees arriving at the peak of its tourist season, crowding its ports and airports.

It has asked its EU partners for help and said it may be forced to accept only EU citizens if the strain becomes too much for its resources.

REUTERS DKA ND1624