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| Home Front: Politix |
| One Lebanese American's Gratitude and Hope |
| 2006-08-05 |
| Lebanese-born John Atala, 27, a former football player at Central Connecticut State University and now team captain and linebacker with the minor league New England Knights of West Haven, grew up in Prospect after leaving Lebanon at the age of 7. He says he tries to return once a year to visit his extended family — which lives largely in the mountainous northern region of Lebanon. Last month, his trip to Lebanon for his cousin’s wedding turned horrific when Israeli missile fire just missed the beach region he and his cousins had left only minutes before. At night, back home in the mountains, they heard the sounds of bombs exploding just villages away. "We were fortunate to have houses in the (northern) mountains ... so many others are not," Atala said. But as a result, he explained, people from the more heavily bombed Muslim regions of southern Lebanon migrated north, creating chaos and heightened distrust with the heavily Catholic populations of the north. Finally at 3:30 a.m. (on July 24), Atala and family members went down to the port city of Jounieh, where the U.S. Marines had set up a base for Americans. Hours later, a U.S. cruise ship filled with about 1,200 Americans was escorted out to sea by two naval battleships. Atala spent much of the 10-hour voyage to Cyprus with an IV in his arm from a stomach virus. "Finally we got to Cyprus and had to take a two-hour bus ride to the airport. We got to the airport at 11:30 at night, but we had to remain on the street outside the airport for the next 14 hours." Atala and his family eventually took a plane to Germany, and five hours later, flew to Maryland. "When we got to Maryland, I wanted to kiss the ground," Atala said. "We had U.S. Air Force, Army ... there were balloons greeting us ... people clapping. Being away makes you realize how great this country is .... this coming from someone who loves Lebanon. But there’s nothing like this country." While he prays for his relatives' safety, his fervent hope is that Israel can eradicate the Hezbollah with minimal loss of civilian life. "Hezbollah is like a cult that has been destroying the country for years," Atala said. "I can only tell you from my family’s point of view, but they’re all 110 percent with Israel. They want Israel to come in there and annihilate Hezbollah because there’s so much tension in the country. The Lebanese who don’t speak up ... it’s only because they’re scared of what Hezbollah might do." Is it realistic to think that Israel can eradicate Hezbollah? "I hope so," said Atala, ironically nicknamed the "Lebanese Missile" at Central Connecticut for his reckless abandon on special teams. "They take these little kids and brainwash them to think that terrorism is something to be proud of. So now even the Muslims are turning against them. I pray for the safety (of Lebanese civilians) every day, but if there’s a cease-fire, and Hezbollah keeps power, how long will they stop? For a few months? A year? So right now, end (Hezbollah) any way you can." |
| Posted by:trailing wife |