July 18, 2006 Lebanon evacuation gathers pace This is bbc world. I'm matt frye in washington. Thousands flee by land, air and sea as the Israeli bombardments continue. The Israeli prime minister said he is opening the gates of hell with this offensive.>> Othecombrim day in iraq as a car bomb kills 54 in the kupa. >> Why eating chicken could mean destroying the rain forest. We have a special report from the amazon. >> Welcome. Beirut is aort demarcation. There have been Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel and will Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon have continued. Waiting to leave are british citizens. 108 set sail from Beirut for gloucester heading for the safety of of cypress. From Beirut, gavin hewitt now port >> In the fading light, the british destroyer sailed out of Beirut tonight with 1208 nationals on board. For many, this was the moment days of anxiety ended. It was during the afternoon that british citizens from all over Lebanon began gathering in a dusty car park in the capital. To start their journey of evacuation, many clutching their passports. They had all seen or heard the violence. From london. >> It's going increasingly well. There are bombs going off all the time. It has been pretty loud, pretty scary. Nobody knows what is going on until today. We got a call an hour ago to get down here >> Reporter: Elise from brighton lived through the past week with triplets. She was just relieved to be going. How have the last five or six days been for you? >> It's been okay, not too bad. But this has been the worst >> Reporter: Others have been closer to the bombing, felt the blasts. Samantha bradley from the west midlands the back window of your car has been smashed. What happened there? >> We were living Beirut three nights ago. A bomb went off when we were leaving and it smashed the car. >> Reporter: Again the late after moon sky, the radar masks the british destroyer coming into view. Hms gloucester came into view. Guns were manned. That was the first sea evacuation. Many will follow in the next few days. The 180 leaving today were bussed to the port. These were most needy, particularly those with small children. Only a few hundred yards from here Israeli bos hmb fallen. As they arrived, other nations like the greeks were evacuating their citizens. At the dockside some spoke about the land they loved about being torn apart >> It'sscar and not knowing in we could get out and feeling imprisoned and having no control of our destiny >> Reporter: This evacuation is operating under strict time limits. They gave the british a window to get in and get out. After that, they couldn't guarantee the ship's safety. Tonight the people leaving here will arrive in cypress and safety. P some have criticized the british government for acting too slowly but officials believe this is the safest way of of taking people out of of Lebanon. Gavin hewitt, bbc news. >>> And there are reports tonight that the U.S. Secretary of state condoleezza rice will visit the region on friday. Earlier today dr. Rice said the united states believes there should be a cease-fire as soon as possible but only when conditions were conducive. This is only three months ago, the american president taking Lebanese prime minister around the rose garden of the white house. It was springtime and both were flush with the promise of Lebanon. >> I told the prime minister that the united states strongly supports a free a indendend and sovereign Lebanon. We took great joy in the revolution. We understand the people who took to the street took courage. >> Reporter: Hezllahay hebo started the latest round of fighting but Israeli jets have also targeted Lebanese airports, power stations and innocent civilians. So far there's not much evidence of Israeli restraintrestraint. Washington has pointed the finger at Hezbollah and its backs, especially syria. >> Syria is trying to get back into Lebanon it looks like to me. We passed the united nations resolution 1559 and finally this young democracy or this democracy became whole by getting syria out. >> Reporter: So could this fighting escalate into a war between syria and Israel and is that what the americans want as some have suggested? Unlikely says this veteran diplomatment >> In the bush administration, there may be some, perhaps the vice president, perhaps the secretary of defence see an opportunity to hit syria, but i think there is much greater concern to avoid this conflict escalating. On the other hand, i do think that the president would like to see Hezbollah taken down. At least a peg. If we come out of of this crisis with a cease-fire in which Hezbollah can claim some kind of victory over the ashes of Beirut Beirut, that's going to be very bad for the broader war on terror than than the president is prosecuting. >> Reporter: Every crisis, even this one is an opportunity. But with the rhetoric and the stakes high the opportunity may be for war and not peace. >>> I'm joined from new york by ambassador richard haass director of policy planning at the U.S. State department from 2001 to 2003 president of the council on foreign relations. Thank you very much for joining us tonight the president said earlier today in the oval office that he believes syria is getting back into Lebanon. Is there any evidence for that as far as you're concerned? >> Well, they are in a sense back into Lebanon because of of what Hezbollah is doing. Hezbollah is not an interest agent here, so as you could say both syria and iran are getting back into lez through Hezbollah and never left hooez. You don't need to have troops in uniforms to have influence. They have a way of of having influence. It is a fact of life that you have external forces including syria and iran that are traumatic influencing the course of events in a way that i think the people of Lebanon are paying an enormous price for. >> Reporter: Who should they be emphasizing on here? Is it syria, iran or both? >> The answer is it's both and Hezbollah as well. It has been six years since the Israelis left hooebz they are looking-- when left Lebanon >> But the perception is much of the world is that Israel's response has been too severe for the original offense. Do you see it that way and is the administration doing enough to call for restraint? >> I don't see it that way. Israel left Lebanon six years ago. Now have is has been commited against them. Under which the international law the Lebanese have the responsibility to police their own territory. If they are unable or unwilling to carry out that function, this but Israel has to put pressure on outside world to essential essentially intervene. It's nurpt it has come to this-- it's fortunate it has come to-- unfortunate that it has come to this but i don't think they have any other choice. I think united states should be talking directly to iran about its role in this. I think the united states should be doing more with syria, and i think the united states should be working with the U.N. The E.U. And others, the british government to put together a deal by which Hezbollah would pull back from the border andy whicf banon or some sort of of internationa force would be inserted as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah. >> Reporter: Ambassador haas, the president has said again today that he wants to bolster the good government of Lebanon as he called it. Do you think the absence of the Israelis in recent days has bolstered the Lebanese government. And when the president was delight beside the seed of revolution, do you think the actions of the moment are helping that revolution to continue? >> We call those leading questions where i come from. The united states lost an opportunity to build up the capacity of the Lebanese army. Right now the biggest threat to the sovereignty of Lebanon, i would suggest, is Hezbollah. If the world wants to do something to truly help the Lebanese government, i would saline on syria, lean on iran to lean on Hezbollah, getezboah back from the border. If that happens, if you get a cease-fire, if hebz is pushed back and you get an international force inserted as a buffer, the Israelis will cease all actions. Israel did not start this conflict. It seems to me it was staed wholly by Hezbollah and their sponsors teheran in damascus. >> Business news. >> The earnings news continued to dominate investors attention on tuesday. They got their first look at the health of the ten sector. Two of the big names in te, yahoo and I.B.M. Reported their second quarter earnings. Yahoo met expectations on advertising but was hit by an investment gain made a year ago and the shares started sliding. I.B.M. Posted higher profits after it cut jobs and sold its unprofitable P.C. Business and coca-colaoste a 7% growth in profit thanks. D merrill lynch beat expectation with a $0.44 profit. Concerns over disruption in oil supplies continue. The pricer barrel. Nonetheless, analysts understand analysts could get $100 a barrel. >> You're watching bbc world. Our main headlines. The evaction of of of Lebanon is continuing as Israeli warplanes strike across the country. The Israeli prime minister accuses its neighbour of of opening the gates of hell. More from me in a moment but first over to mike in london. Mike, i gather there are desperate search efforts in indonesia after monday's tsunami. >> I'm looking for my missing son but there are no signs of of im. >> Reporter: In hospital, survivors are dazed and bruised and broken by the waves. Indonesia has not set up a proper early morning system. Many here think they were caught unaware. >> My wife and I, you take the daughter, when i cleared the cafe, something collapsed and the water, it just took me, threw me right, left, left-right, out. I have half of my family left. Now just pick up the pieces and move on sfwlrt this disaster may not be on the scale of the 2004 asian tsunami but it is the work of of very same fault line. The and indonesia is paying high-- paying the price. >> A bomb attack at a shrine has injured more than 100. A suicide bomber drove a mini bus near the shrine hoping to be fired. Someone climbed into the building thinking he had a job. >> Awe strahl yaw landed one of of their fighter jets because a wheel fell off off takeover. Live television interviews so the the before it touched down. Monica vehicles surrounded the vick and it was sprayed with foam. More than 200 people have been killed in Lebanon over the last week. Many areas have been devestated by the Israeli attacks. >> Reporter: The biggest town in the border region in the grip of fear. Since we drove past here, this road has been cut by Israeli bombs. Many have fled leaving behind a ghost city. This is one of the reasons for the fear. The on sunday this 12-story building in the heart of town was reduced to about 20 dead bodies have been recovered so far but there is no way to mount a proper rescue effort to retrieve all the victims. Her >> I see everybody. I see energy. I see army. P I talk to all the people, particularly families. >> Reporter: Survivors insist this building was purely civilians and the office of defence. They just wanted to kill people, she said. This has nothing to do with Hezbollah. Car sirens were still going on after a massive Israeli bomb demolished this two had story building monday night. This man came to retrieveretrieve. She came back from holiday with her three children, mother and the family's sri lankan maid. He recognized his aunt's identity card i found in the rubble. >> She came for the summer. The sri lankan may not be only foreign here. This is an example of why people are trying to leave south Lebanon in such a hurry. An entire building demolished in the night. All that is left of a two-story building with women and children crushed to death. P this is why it's difficult to mount rescue operations and get supplies to border stricken villages. Moving around here is not only physically difficult but extremely dangerous. Jim muir, in southern Lebanon >>> Still to come on this programme, >> Soybeans, nothing special about that you might think but I'm in the amazon where these plants are growing, there used to be trop dahl rain forest. The beans? They're being grown for us in europe. Join me for a special report. >> In the indian city mumbai, a two-minute silence was held after a week passed of the commuter train bombings. Many people in india also took part. >> Reporter: The vigil began in silence. India's president P.A. Pay led the ceremony paying respects to the people who lost their lives in this tragedy. New york, madrid, london and now mumbai, all targets of of attacks, enemy. Morning rush hour and it was business as usual. Trains packed with the brave and resilient people heading back to workment this station was a victim of one of the seven deadly bombers a week ago. Passengers here have no other option. In a city suffering from inadequate infrastructure, the trains are mumbai's lifeline. >> Doesn't make any difference, but to know something is happening in mumbai. >> People i care about, but they have no other option. >> Reporter: Mumbai's police randomly questioning those they find suspicious. In the last few days, there have been bomb squares here. The city is on high alert. People here are moving on with their lives but they till don't know who is responsible for the terror attacks on their city last week. Mumbai's people want more than just silent silent commiseration from their government. Now they want answers. All is week here on bbc world, we're reporting on changes taking place in the amazon rain forest and effect they're having on the environment. How trees are being felt to provide space are and not air ment >> We get this report from the amazon rain forest >> It's hot, humid and around me the sound of countless insects. Not only but from our balloon camera, you can get a sense of the scale of the forest. It runs for thousands of miles. In all directions, all said to be under threat from the trade in soy soya beans. Look under the water, it's down here that there are a third of the world's plants and animal species. Now the inroads that the soya farmers are making into this forest of are said to be having a real impact. The harvest of soy soya beans. Nothing unusual you might think except that this field used to be rain forest. T >> These soya beans are being for the chickens we all buy in the supermarkets and restaurants. The problem is a price and that price is the future the rain forest. It's only from the air that you can see what this means. In this area only one tree is standing. >> Reporter: Soya beans ... have tried to stop the authorities moved hard and aimed pressure no more rain forest should make way for soya. >> A reminder of our main story. Several,000 people are leaving by rin, sea A. President bush says syrian influence needs to be kept out of of flu Lebanon. |
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