Flagler professor stranded in Lebanon

By Glenn Judah

Bariaa Shatila, Flagler College Math, Science, and Technology Department chair, was stranded in Beirut, Lebanon with her two sons visiting family when Israel fired missiles last Wednesday on the country’s only airport.

Flagler College mathematics professor, Julie Jurgens, has received at least one E-mail from Shatila since the bombings. In that message, she said she and her family are fine. She seemed optimistic about her chances to return to the U.S. fairly quickly.

Source: CIA Factbook

First Coast News in Jacksonville reported that Shatila and her two sons were just minutes away from the airport in Beirut, adding that the family is waiting at the American Embassy to board a cruise ship to the island nation of Cyprus.

All air traffic out of Lebanon was halted last week when Israel began bombing areas in Beirut in an attempt to push back and end attacks from Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group, who bombed the Israel border and captured two Israeli soldiers.

The Gargoyle will keep this story updated as more information becomes available.