Thousands Lebanon evacuees pour into Cyprus

Larnaca (Cyprus), July 21: Thousands of weary, shell-shocked evacuees streamed into Cyprus today thinking only of home after fleeing heavy Israeli bombardment of Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Among the boats ferrying people to safety across the narrow stretch of water in the east Mediterranean were USS Nashville, two British warships and vessels from Greece, Italy and India.

''I'm glad to be here in Cyprus and heading home,'' said Marc Charbel, 16, one of 1,000 Americans disembarking from USS Nashville after being rescued on Thursday by US Marines.

Charbel, from Orlando, Florida, had found himself stranded alone in Lebanon as Israeli rockets rained down on the country.

US officials said they had arranged six charter flights to carry Americans to Baltimore free of charge, though they would have to pay their own way once there. The United States expects to have evacuated 6,000 Americans from Lebanon by Friday.

Not only Americans were keen to forget their ordeal.

''I am thinking of not going back to Lebanon ... All the sides in this conflict are bad, they want to destroy the country,'' said Kayal Kayal, a Greek Lebanese antique dealer heading for Athens.

A Cypriot ship chartered by the United Nations dropped off around 900 people in Larnaca, including non-essential UN staff and their families. Many appeared shaken by their experience.

''There was shelling throughout Beirut during the time we were moored there. It was obviously distressing to those coming out,'' said UN security officer Simon Butt.

Some of the evacuees were angry with Israel, which began bombing Lebanon 10 days ago in response to Hizbollah attacks.

''The Israelis are making no distinction between civilians and militants, they are bombing everything,'' said Rena Hayek, a Lebanese American from Texas who had been on vacation.

''A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY'' Another Texan, Billy Broeckelmann, 44, said: ''(Israel's bombing) is way too much, it's not right. They're blowing up a beautiful country and hurting wonderful people.'' But there was also criticism of Hizbollah. ''Hizbollah are not letting people leave. They are bombing the Israelis from residential areas and so the Israelis attack them there,'' said Mahmoud Bazzi, 22, one of around 500 people coming ashore in Larnaca from an Italian ship.

''My friend died and we could not even bury him. We had no water, no electricity, no news. Nothing works,'' he said.

Arriving at the Cypriot port of Limassol aboard the British ship HMS York, Australian bank worker Andrew Sassine, 23, said he had originally hoped to sit out the crisis.

''Everybody was saying it will pass, it will pass. But after a week things just started to escalate and the bombing just got closer and closer to where we were staying. We then said let's pack our bags, it's time to go,'' he said.

Most of the 286 passengers on HMS York were British, many of them of Lebanese origin who had been visiting relatives.

''Over the next few days, I believe we will be able to get out all the Britons who want to get home,'' Foreign Office Minister David Triesman told British Forces Radio in Limassol.

Cypriot officials say they expect an average of 4,000 evacuees to arrive each day, putting great strain on the tiny island's resources at the peak of the summer tourist season.

Cyprus has asked its European Union partners to send more aircraft to transfer evacuees to their home countries.

Washington said nine military ships were involved in its massive evacuation operation, which brought the Marines back in Lebanon nearly 23 years after a Shi'ite Muslim suicide bomber blew up their barracks in Beirut, killing more than 200.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper flew out of Cyprus yesterday with 63 evacuees aboard his plane after he diverted it to the island after an official visit to Europe.

Many evacuees, some holding back tears, said they were concerned about the families they were forced to leave behind.

''I know I am safe now,'' said Australian student Sherean Irani, 19, who had been visiting relatives in Lebanon and had hoped to study there. ''But my heart is with Lebanon.''

Reuters