Outrage of the Day: U.S. Charging Americans to Get Out of Lebanon

This statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut takes the cake:

The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date. In a subsequent message, when we have specific details about the transporation arrangments, we will inform you about the costs you will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure that they have adequate flights to help you depart Cyprus and connect to your final destination.

Since when does the U.S. government charge its citizens for rescuing them from war zones? This is what's happening with our citzens stuck in Lebanon as Israel continues its air and rocket attacks there.  I guess the feds have to get money somewhere to help cover the massive cost-plus invoices submitted by Halliburton and Blackwater, not to mention all those billions "lost" in Iraq without a paper trail. This is not the America I grew up in. This is not America, period.