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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=klimas@aub.edu href="mailto:klimas@aub.edu">American University of
Beirut</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=gbarkett@rcn.com href="mailto:gbarkett@rcn.com">AUB
Alumni</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 01, 2006 2:41 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Beirut ER: Time's Running Out</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This story is currently being pitched for ABC television airtime. </DIV>
<P></P>
<P></P>
<P>Please forward the web article to anyone you know who cares about AUB &
the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. The more "clicks" and message
postings the article gets the more leverage it gives to get the story on TV,
where millions will see it. </P>
<P></P>
<P>Beirut ER: Time's Running Out </P>
<P><A href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/07/beirut_er_times.html"
target="http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/07/beirut_er_times.html ">http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/07/beirut_er_times.html
</A></P>
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<P>July 31, 2006 7:10 PM </P>
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<P>Lara Setrakian Reports: </P>
<P></P>
<P>There is not much time left before the lights will go out at the American
University of Beirut Medical Center. Oil tankers ready to deliver the
much-needed fuel are standing by in nearby waters, but they are being kept out
by the Israel's blockade.</P>
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<P>The hospital has only enough oil to fuel their generators for a maximum of 20
days, or as little as seven days if the state cuts off the little power it now
provides, according to Dr. Nadim Cortas, Dean of the medical program.</P>
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<P>Israel and others may fear the fuel those tankers carry would go to Hezbollah
fighters, used for their trucks and artillery. But Cortas argues this point.</P>
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<P>"We see no reason why there should be a blockade on fuel delivery. It could
be conditional, only going to hospitals, and it can be monitored. It wouldn't go
straight to [Hezbollah] warriors. The blockade has no benefit to Israel except
to inflict more suffering on the civilian population."</P>
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<P>What he and other doctors are hoping is that Israel will let the oil through,
with either the Lebanese government or third-party agencies, like the Red Cross,
making sure it gets to the hospital.</P>
<P></P>
<P>American University Medical Center is Lebanon's biggest and most important
hospital. But with the electric grid damaged and the current shortage of fuel,
the lights could very well go out for the healthcare provider.</P>
<P></P>
<P>Without the Medical Center, more refugees would likely get their healthcare
from Hezbollah's grassroots aid efforts. Hezbollah currently hands out food and
care in many of the makeshift shelters around Beirut housing refugees from the
south of Lebanon and southern suburbs of Beirut.</P>
<P></P>
<P>If power runs out, it's unclear what would happen to the dozens of refugees
and war injured at the hospital, not to mention the routine patients waiting to
give birth or receive organ transplants.</P>
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<P>"[The Hospital] has received dozens of injured and will receive transfers of
dozens more from the south," Dr. Cortas says. "And we've said yes to all of
them. Payment is no issue."</P>
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<P>American University of Beirut<BR>3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza<BR>8th
Floor<BR>NYC, NY 10017-2303 </P></BODY></HTML>