?

A group of distraught Lebanese people gathered at the beach near the US embassy in North Beirut today to wave their goodbyes to US citizens being evacuated . As the last of the relieved American men, women and children were helped on to the landing craft that was to ferry them to the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Nashville some of the Lebanese onlookers rolled out banners saying: ‘Really, really sorry to see you go’ and ‘Well that’s it, now we’re fucked’.

As the F16s scored the clear blue Lebanese sky with jet trails they could just hear, underneath the thunderous crack of bomb exploded masonry, a small child’s voice calling to the speeding landing craft ‘come back soon’.