20 Lebanese on Ill-Fated Algerian Plane, Including 10 Children
Several Lebanese nationals were onboard an Algerian plane that went missing Thursday during a flight from Burkina Faso to Algiers.
An official source in Lebanon told Agence France-Presse that at least 20 Lebanese nationals were on the flight, including three couples with 10 children.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese embassy in Algiers said the competent Algerian authorities had not yet informed it of any confirmed news regarding the incident other than that contact had been lost with the plane.
“There were Lebanese onboard, but there is no confirmed information until the moment,” the embassy added.
Earlier on Thursday, LBCI television reported that around 15 Lebanese citizens were on the flight, which air navigation services lost contact with 50 minutes after takeoff.
Algerian radio said 51 French citizens and 26 from Burkina Faso were among the 116 passengers on the plane which dropped off the radar as it overflew northern Mali.
Media reports identified nine Lebanese nationals on the flight as "Randa Bassam Daher and her three children, Joseph Jerjes al-Hajj, Fadi Rustom, his son-in-law Omar al-Ballan, Manji Hassan and Mohammed Akhdar."
The airline announced that the plane had gone missing in a brief statement carried by national news agency APS. It added that the company initiated an "emergency plan" in the search for flight AH5017, which flies the four-hour passenger route four times a week.
France's Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier said that top civil aviation officials were holding an emergency meeting and a crisis cell had been set up.
"The plane disappeared at Gao (in Mali), 500 kilometers from the Algerian border. Several nationalities are among the victims," Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal was cited as saying by Algerian radio.
In neighboring Mali, amid reports of heavy storms in the region, the prime minister's office also said contact was lost around Gao over the country's restive north.
H.K./Y.R.
over 10 years
false info iceman, alarabiya amateurism as usual...
over 10 years
Yeah I'm getting paranoid. I'm about to travel twice within the next two weeks
over 10 years
Wrong answer Binary. You see that's living in denial, simply because it doesn't matter whether or not the church actually proposed them. And speaking of "nominating themselves", did Michel Sleiman nominate himself? The answer is no. Technically Aoun didn't nominate himself either, yet he talks about ensuring Hariri's security. Your argument is pointless and you're still dodging a direct question: what makes these guys unreasonable? It was you, who said he doesn't refuse reasonable candidates, as if you are his spokesman. So speak.
over 10 years
sorry dear @flamethrower, it is tough keeping up with the flamethrowers these days. Nevertheless, I re-phrase my question: Do you think Caliph Baghdadi will address this FGM issue with Sayyed Hasan in their joint live reality TV show tomorrow? How about you personally, is that something you think the resistance should support?
over 10 years
flamethrower; and if parties endorse some of the candidates will michel aoun go down to parliament and vote ?
over 10 years
I don't think Binary is gonna answer because he knows the answer: Michel Aoun still wants to become president. Because if he truly gave up, he would propose a compromise candidate. Because like in 2008 this is about compromise (not consensus) as you brilliantly pointed out in one of your posts.
over 10 years
as Binary pointed out in his last post*
over 10 years
There's 320 DC-9 and DC10 in the Aircraft graveyard in Kingman, Arizona, and the Algerian government still flying them?
over 10 years
hey flamethrower, are you planning and strategizing your comments for the anticipated article on sayyed hassan's speech of tomorrow ? I know I am.... get ready!
over 10 years
flamethrower: I hope you don't mind if I refer to you as MF (My Friend) do you?
over 10 years
What future are you referring to? Aoun wants to be president, right now. This has nothing to do with the future. And how many times do I have to say I'm not with the 14th of March? And when did I ever say Hakim for President? Anyway Geagea gave up because he knew he was never gonna be elected, unlike Aoun who's gonna drag this on as long as he wants.
over 10 years
You try to base your argument on things I've never said, which is stupid. I base my argument on things that you have posted. So don't you be calling me an idiot Binary. I've been reading your BS a while before I joined. And I joined because I don't like you. You try to insult peoples' intelligence when you just blindly follow this lunatic Aoun, ignoring facts. You're probably one of those people who painted your room orange and engraved an Aouneh checkmark in some wall of your house.
over 10 years
You don't think objectively, you just argue out of pure bias. Aoun doesn't care about Lebanon, he cares only about himself. And because you follow this psychopath, that means you don't care about Lebanon. I don't follow Geagea simply because he agreed to Taef some 25 years ago. Amine Gemayel is weak. The only person I like from the 14th of March is his son Sami because he speaks the truth. He says the way things really are, which is all I want to hear from a politician.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/12/gemayel-hezbollah-syria-hurt-lebanon.html
over 10 years
Texas, so you're pitying this guy and want me to stop? If that's what you mean I'm sorry but I just hate when this kid talks trash. In every debate, he dodges my questions than in his little manoeuvres he calls me stupid. I don't accept that. I argue with objectivity and he keeps talking out of his behind, then when I make him look so bad he stops talking. Then I bring it up the next day he acts like my comments the day before meant nothing
over 10 years
Texas, I haven't even been on this forum for a week and I've cornered him in every debate. Another guy is Southern. Check out how stupid I made him look. He never replied to me.
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/140098-u-s-house-moves-to-block-hizbullah-funding
over 10 years
lol, nickjames you are new here. Many of us have been on here for years and we know what this character is all about. He feels important when he throws insults and name calls people. Debate is impossible with him, hope you will learn your way around pretty quick. Southern is a hopeless case...
over 10 years
So can't we form some type of committee, and as a collective group, ask Naharnet to expel these kinds of people citing academic reasons? Seriously, don't we have the right to intellectual, objective debates?
over 10 years
@ ft : isil would do worse, but a false information is a false information, no reason to lie...
over 10 years
you're sick my friend
You are a disgusting ´´human being´´, even a plane crash is an opportunity to spew your sectarianism. I am a Shiite, I also hate Hezbollah, but unlike you right wing parasites, I love my country Lebanon and ALL Lebanese more than I hate Hezbollah. You right wing parasites are so out of touch you are even allied with the Jihadist scum that consider you an infidel. The people of Mosul should spit on you and your likes, why dont you go protect them tough guy?