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Australia evacuates citizens from Beirut

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 20 (UPI) -- Australia has sent more than 80 Australian Defense Force personnel to Beirut to help evacuate hundreds of Australian citizens by sea.

The military personnel include logistics experts who will coordinate their activities with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff attempting to assist Australians trapped in Lebanon to leave the country. Earlier Australian attempts to charter a Turkish vessel failed, the Advertizer newspaper reported Thursday.

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The Advertiser said about 100 Australians, mostly families with children and the handicapped, had been evacuated on a British warship. More Australians are scheduled for evacuation on a Greek naval landing ship.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that contracts had been signed to use chartered ships to evacuate more than 2,000 Australians from Beirut by the weekend.

Prime Minister John Howard expressed his concern that up to 400 Australians were believed to be still trapped in southern Lebanon, telling them, "Stay put, but make sure you keep well away from Hezbollah or any Hezbollah infrastructure."

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