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Aussie dance troupe stranded
Daily Telegraph, Australia
July 15 2006
An Australian dance troupe stranded in Lebanon by the bombing of
Beirut airport has been told by Australian authorities to stay put
in its hotel in the Lebanese capital.
Israel has blockaded Lebanese ports and struck Beirut airport and two
military airbases, expanding reprisals that have killed 53 civilians in
Lebanon since Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers a day earlier.
The parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander
Downer, Teresa Gambaro, said 2200 Australians were registered as
being in Lebanon.
But she said that figure could be much higher.
More than 27,000 Australians visited Lebanon last year, she said.
Ms Gambaro said the Australian embassy in Lebanon has temporarily
closed.
The advice from DFAT was for Australians in Lebanon is to "stay put"
in what is a "very volatile situation".
"The best they can do is to remain in a secure location indoors. To
monitor the media and follow the instructions of local authorities,"
she told ABC radio.
The Sydney-based Armenian dance group of 43 performers, travelling
with family and friends, arrived in Beirut from Syria two days ago.
The group left Sydney three weeks ago and performed for two weeks in
Armenia before spending three days in Syria.
Troupe spokesman Joseph Diodarty said the group could not see or hear
the effects of any of the attacks from their hotel, 30 minutes drive
from the airport.
Australia Department of Foreign Affairs officials have been in contact
with the group and advised them to stay at their hotel and not move
about the city, he said.
"For two days at least, until there's news from the airport whether
they are ready to go or not," Mr Diodarty told ABC Radio.
The group had believed they would be able to leave Lebanon while
hostilities were confined to southern Lebanon.
But when the group discovered today that three runways at the airport
had been bombed they started to worry.
"We all just sort of thought, 'OK, how are we going to get out of
here?'," Mr Diodarty said.
The group made inquiries about travelling overland to Syria but were
told the border was closed.
"There's no way we can travel to any bordering country either by train,
especially by plane, or bus or car," Mr Diodarty said.
"It's left us stranded ... .
"We'll just see how we go in the next couple of days."
Daily Telegraph, Australia
July 15 2006
An Australian dance troupe stranded in Lebanon by the bombing of
Beirut airport has been told by Australian authorities to stay put
in its hotel in the Lebanese capital.
Israel has blockaded Lebanese ports and struck Beirut airport and two
military airbases, expanding reprisals that have killed 53 civilians in
Lebanon since Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers a day earlier.
The parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander
Downer, Teresa Gambaro, said 2200 Australians were registered as
being in Lebanon.
But she said that figure could be much higher.
More than 27,000 Australians visited Lebanon last year, she said.
Ms Gambaro said the Australian embassy in Lebanon has temporarily
closed.
The advice from DFAT was for Australians in Lebanon is to "stay put"
in what is a "very volatile situation".
"The best they can do is to remain in a secure location indoors. To
monitor the media and follow the instructions of local authorities,"
she told ABC radio.
The Sydney-based Armenian dance group of 43 performers, travelling
with family and friends, arrived in Beirut from Syria two days ago.
The group left Sydney three weeks ago and performed for two weeks in
Armenia before spending three days in Syria.
Troupe spokesman Joseph Diodarty said the group could not see or hear
the effects of any of the attacks from their hotel, 30 minutes drive
from the airport.
Australia Department of Foreign Affairs officials have been in contact
with the group and advised them to stay at their hotel and not move
about the city, he said.
"For two days at least, until there's news from the airport whether
they are ready to go or not," Mr Diodarty told ABC Radio.
The group had believed they would be able to leave Lebanon while
hostilities were confined to southern Lebanon.
But when the group discovered today that three runways at the airport
had been bombed they started to worry.
"We all just sort of thought, 'OK, how are we going to get out of
here?'," Mr Diodarty said.
The group made inquiries about travelling overland to Syria but were
told the border was closed.
"There's no way we can travel to any bordering country either by train,
especially by plane, or bus or car," Mr Diodarty said.
"It's left us stranded ... .
"We'll just see how we go in the next couple of days."