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The U.S. embassy has evacuated my family and we're still paying for it. It's not free. We could have hired a private militia and escaped to safety for 5% of wha

by mahmud 14y ago

The U.S. embassy has evacuated my family and we're still paying for it. It's not free. We could have hired a private militia and escaped to safety for 5% of what we paid the state department.

jstabbac 14y ago
Could you elaborate? I'm interested in knowing more. Where were you, how much did it cost, what services were provided?
- mahmud 14y ago
  Somalia 1991. [two-digit]k per person. Do the math. (I need to ask the family, I remember it being more than 30k)
  - igorsyl 14y ago
    Did they disclose the fees before providing this service? Or they just surprised you with the bill in the mail? Was this tax-deductible?
mikerice 14y ago
Yes, if you go somewhere that's dangerous, the local embassy will usually warn you to leave asap if something is going down. It's not a free pass to get out. If you want that, become a diplomat.
waffle_ss 14y ago
I'm kind of glad to hear that it isn't free. U.S. taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize the risks that some take to travel to dangerous areas, even if it's an aid worker (most recently, like [this guy][1]). [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/world/asia/kidnapped-american-warren-weinstein-appears-in-qaeda-video.html http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/world/asia/kidnapped-ameri...
driverdan 14y ago
You should do a reddit AMA. I'm sure many people would like to hear your story.