ESCAPE FROM THE LEVANT
By Vincent Lyn
I’m not sure where to start, but I’ll dive right in. My main plan was to spend a week in Lebanon and a week in Syria before heading home. I aimed to catch up with friends and colleagues, attend various important meetings, visit the Palestinian refugee camps in Shatila (Beirut) and Beddawi (Tripoli), and see my children in Hama, Syria. While sitting in my Beirut hotel room, answering questions for an interview set to be published for News Break that afternoon in the U.S, I suddenly heard a loud boom. Minutes later, I received a call from Alain Khoury, my close-protection officer, informing me of three missile attacks about 1.5 km from my location and advising me to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. Shortly after, Mohammad Khair Al Khousi my colleague and all around fixer in Damascus called to tell me to check the local news on Almayadeen TV about the bombing. After checking multiple news channels and identifying Israel as the attacker, I resumed my interview. You might be thinking, “WHAT??”
Having been in numerous war zones and trusting my closest colleagues in the region, I wasn’t overly alarmed. However, the situation escalated when my Lufthansa flight from Beirut was canceled. The usual paranoia from Western media was in full swing, spreading fear and propoganda. Despite this, I knew my trip to Syria was planned, so I didn’t worry much. I hoped things would calm down, and if needed, I could fly out from Damascus or drive across the Jordanian border as a backup plan.
Syria went well, but I had to cut my trip short as the situation in Lebanon escalated. More airlines were canceling flights, and embassies from the US, UK, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, and others were advising their citizens to leave immediately or shelter in place. Returning to Beirut was out of the question so it seemed and all flights out of Damascus were fully booked. With thousands now stranded in Lebanon, getting a visa for Syria — which is notoriously difficult to obtain — was not an option for most, so I had to find a way to reach Jordan.
My flight agent in Los Angeles worked on alternative routes from Amman, Jordan, assuming I could get there from Syria. I first needed a reliable driver and had to contact my connections in Jordan for assistance at the border and booking arrangements in Amman. A driver was arranged and we left Damascus on August 5th at around 10 am. It was supposed to take two hours to the Jordanian border, a couple of hours at the border, and then another two hours to Amman. However, things rarely go as planned in such situations.
On the way to the Jordanian border, we encountered at least ten checkpoints, some more thorough than others but all unnerving. After going through immigration procedures, we entered what is known as No Man’s Land. We reached a series of checkpoints before Jordanian border control, where things got intense. We had to remove everything from the car — not just luggage, but every single item, including a bottle of water, an apple, and even the jack. The hood was lifted, the trunk opened, and all the car doors inspected. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in, and the car was meticulously examined. We waited and waited. Next came the luggage check, where even my underwear was scrutinized. I’ve had my luggage checked in many countries, but this was extreme. After clearing, the car had to be moved to another area for further inspection.
Now dealing with immigration was a nightmare. There was no coordination between the officers, the army, the secret service — it was a chaotic maze. I stood in line for about an hour, only to be told at the window that I needed to pay for the Jordan visa in local currency. I had to go outside to find small shops that could handle the transaction, then get back in line for another hour. My driver was in another line amidst a sea of people, waiting to get his passport stamped. I thought I was done, but no — I had to join yet another line for an eye scan and to show my visa to get my passport stamped.
Meanwhile, I saw other Canadian and US passport holders who had also come from Lebanon trying to reach Jordan and hopefully get home. It was complete chaos. After standing in line for at least two more hours, my passport was finally stamped, and I was allowed into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. My last visit to Jordan was in 2016 with my friend, the action film star adventurer Cynthia Rothrock.
Now I had to wait for my driver. We had arrived at the border at 11:30 am, quickly getting there from Damascus. It was now 5 PM, and it was around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I kept going inside to check on the driver’s progress, but he was still waiting. After a few more hours, he finally came out and told me that Jordanian immigration wouldn’t let him enter the country, even though he had the correct documents and visa.
I was stranded at the border without a driver or transportation. A few local men approached me, speaking in Arabic, which I barely understood. They seemed to be some kind of security, though they had no ID or names. It was suspicious, but I had to go with the flow. We transferred all my luggage from the driver’s car to a black Suburban filled with food, vegetables, ropes, tools, and other miscellaneous items. I sat in the front seat, unsure of our destination.
After about 15 minutes, we stopped to change cars. They asked if I wanted to relax at their home for dinner, but I declined, eager to reach my hotel in Amman. We moved the luggage to another vehicle and hit the road again, only to stop a third time in the middle of the desert to change cars again. Using Google Translate, the driver tried to offer me a cigarette or coffee, I declined and we stopped at a rest area where he bought me a drink and a Snickers bar. Could he be fattening me up for the kill?
Thankfully there was nothing to be worried about and arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel, where a booking had been arranged by connections in Amman finally arriving around 10 pm. Unfortunately, I discovered that my flight from Amman had been canceled by Lufthansa. They had just announced that all flights from the Middle East were canceled. Adding insult to injury, Lufthansa suggested I return to Beirut to catch a flight, even though almost all flights and airlines, except MEA and Turkish Airlines had been canceled. Thousands of people were now stranded in Beirut, with state departments advising them to stay in a “safe place.” What safe place? Governments seem indifferent to the plight of their citizens, leaving them to fend for themselves, much like the Palestinians have spent their entire lives doing.
My LA agent now had to find a different airline to get me out of Amman to anywhere in Europe. After three days of trying, they finally booked me on a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, with a connection to Europe.
Jordan had officially notified the US, Israel, that it will not allow its airspace to be used for warplanes, drones, or missiles. The problem is that if the situation escalates, which is highly likely, Jordan’s airspace is caught between Israel and Lebanon, with rockets potentially flying from both sides. Not every missile is accurate, and Iran has much more powerful missiles.
So, it’s definitely time to get out of here as soon as possible!
On Aug 8th I flew from Amman to Istanbul but the flight was delayed three hours not allowing me to make my connection. So, yet again now the 7th flight cancelation/change/delay. I had to spend the night in Istanbul to make my next leg from Istanbul to Lisbon. And the saga continues.
There are many people from different countries who were involved in my rescue to safety including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, UK and US but most names I cannot divulge.
I want to thank you all for your kind assistance with facilitating the logistics to get me to safety
Stay tuned for further updates….
Vincent Lyn
CEO & Founder of We Can Save Children
Deputy Ambassador of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC)
Director of Creative Development at African Views Organization
Economic & Social Council at United Nations (ECOSOC)
Rescue & Recovery Specialist at International Confederation of Police & Security Experts Lyn