First, let me say I participated in two embassy evacuations, in neither case was any charge or cost ever mentioned.  I don't know what the arrangements were after we got them to a safe place where they could get flights out, but there was no charge to get them there.

What interests me is this-Did Israel, our ally, notify us in advance of their plans in Lebanon.  If so, we really screwed the pooch in mobilizing an evacuation.  There are standard plans on the shelf, and it is a standard military mission that is rehearsed regularly in the Navy and Marine corps.  It just needs to be activated.  The slowness in response was stunning to me.

Either didn't anticipate the need, or they threw out the old plan and did it Rumsfeld style?  Did the antiship missle scare us off?    Or just plain old Katrina-style incompetence?

Or maybe Israel didn't advise us in advance.