Reference News Network, March 11 report: According to the website of the U.S. "New York Post" on March 6, the journey of American travel blogger Alisa Ramos to evacuate from Kuwait took 48 hours and spanned four continents. She said that the U.S. government provided no assistance throughout the process.

Ramos arrived in Miami on the 5th and said: "They always say in the news that they are doing their best to evacuate American citizens. But I am sure they really did not do it."

She said she contacted the U.S. embassy in Kuwait multiple times, but was always transferred to the consular department. The staff told her that they could not help her leave Kuwait and advised her to register for the U.S. "Smart Traveler" program and stay put.

Ramos is one of many American citizens who have evacuated or remain stranded in the Middle East.

Previously, for nearly a week, the attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran quickly drew more than a dozen neighboring countries into the conflict.

American citizens described the frustration and growing fear they faced, including airport closures, flight cancellations, and worrying guidance from the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Poland, Australia, France, and other countries acted faster, quickly sending military aircraft or chartered flights to bring back their own citizens.

On the 5th, Susan Daly, a resident of Chicago, arrived after taking the first commercial flight from Dubai to San Francisco since the Iranian war broke out on February 28, and said: "The State Department or whichever department told us that you must leave immediately, but there was actually no help provided. So you had to figure out your own way. This is the most anxiety-provoking thing."

In response to criticism that the U.S. reaction was too slow, the Trump administration refuted it. The U.S. State Department said that the first government-chartered flight had returned from the Middle East on the 5th and more flights would arrive soon.

However, it remains unclear how many people were on the plane, nor where in the Middle East they came from.

Despite the fact that most airspace in the Gulf region remains closed or under strict restrictions, the U.S. embassies in the region continue to advise American citizens to take commercial flights to leave.

Because there was no advice from Washington or the U.S. consulate, some travelers said they turned to WhatsApp groups and sought information about commercial flights and alternative routes from the UAE, Kuwait, and other countries on social media.

Jason O'Donnell, a three-term Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, successfully left Dubai after the UAE partially reopened its airspace and Emirates resumed limited flights.

O'Donnell said in an email interview: "Other than that general email advising us to figure it out ourselves, we never received any messages from the State Department. Plus, the voicemail from the State Department saying 'you're on your own,' all of this made me very angry."

On the 3rd, several Democratic congressmen wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that "the lack of clear preparation, planning, and communication with overseas American citizens is unacceptable, which violates the basic mission of the State Department to provide consular assistance and protect overseas American citizens."

An American in Dubai, Cory McCain, finally left the region on the 4th after a long, sleepless, and expensive journey to Muscat, the capital of Oman.

To avoid being stuck in the crowded Dubai airport, McCain and his friends rented a car and drove to the Oman border. He said that taxi drivers charged滞留旅客 up to $650 to take them to Muscat Airport, where flights were still operating.

Mccain said he was lucky to have friends who were familiar with the local situation.

Mccain said: "Everyone shared resources because, frankly, the U.S. government has done nothing at any level, which is really disappointing."

Since the war broke out, commercial flight options have been limited. Data shows that as of the 6th, more than 29,000 of the approximately 51,000 inbound and outbound flights at Middle Eastern airports were canceled. (Translated by Zhang Lin)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7615902295447929380/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.