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LOCAL Tuesday 29 November 2016
An Aruban in Libya
Stories of my years (1966 – 1973) with ESSO in Tripoli
Chapter 14 - The Six Days’ war of June 1967
The news of the Israeli at-
tack of its Arab neighbors
reached us at our office
during the morning hours.
Most of the Libyan employ-
ees left at once, very up-
set, without saying a word,
while the expats, American
and British, tried to do their
work normally. Around
lunch hour a large band of
Libyan men, obviously very
angry, began to march in
the direction of the offices Author’s family was evacuated from Wheelus Airbase on a
of the oil companies and C-130 Hercules.
to the Jewish and Italian narrow street from the em- Libya arranged for my fam-
stores. We quickly closed bassy, became a victim as ily also to be included al-
all our windows and bar- many of the stones aimed though they were all Dutch
ricaded the locked doors at the embassy landed on citizens. No one knew
placing heavy furniture our roof. A colleague on where they would wind up.
against them. Appar- the fifth floor suggested The employees had to
ently. Hussein of Iraq and that we “returned” these stay and work “normally”.
Nasser of the United Arab stones, but our Controller This also applied to the
Republic (Egypt) had de- Ramsy Rizk immediately British secretaries. Most of
nounced (falsely) that USA reprimanded him and or- the secretaries lived in the
and Great Britain were dered all of us to return Tripoli sector called Gar-
participating with Israel in to our desks. We were den City, but the British
the attacks and of course all very nervous, thinking Embassy ordered them to
this infuriated the Liby- what would happen to us stay together at certain
ans against all British and if for some reason the mob places designated by the
American companies. turned wild. Fortunately, af- Embassy.
The bands took out their ter what seemed hours, the They were to have a small
ire against the few Jew- mob left and we were able suitcase packed and be
ish families that still lived in How Israel routed the enemy in the Six Days War of 1967. to close for the day and prepared to be evacuat-
Libya who went into hid- go home. I am convinced ed if necessary. The British
ing to save their lives, but have strong arms that they States. Our Accounting that the controlled mob government was arranging
almost all had their proper- used for throwing stones at Department in the Walid action was tied to King Id- to have a warship come
ties destroyed by the angry the Embassy of the United building, separated by a ris’s stance in the war. The from Alexandria, Egypt to
bands. The exact number king chose to remain neu- evacuate all British citizens
of Jews who were mur- tral: did not condemn the from Benghazi and Tripoli.
dered by the bands was Israelis and did not join the None became necessary.
never determined, but it foray. The war ended before the
was rumored to be in ex- My three children were at warship ever left Alexan-
cess of one hundred. One home when I arrived. They dria.
of the families that lost their and my wife were franti- As planned by the United
business was a family that cally preparing their suit- States Embassy, the de-
we knew from our many cases so they could catch pendents of American
visits to their grocery store. the Oil Companies School citizens were taken to
We have reason to believe bus that would take them Wheelus Air Force Base in
that they managed to es- to Wheelus Air Force Base. Oil Companies School bus-
cape alive, but we never Apparently, an order had ses. My wife and three chil-
saw them again. been issued by the Ameri- dren were on one of them,
Fortunately, the mobs can Ambassador for all but I was not allowed to
roaming the streets near American dependents accompany them.
our office did not have Esso Libya’s accounting office was just a narrow street away to be evacuated out of
firearms. Many of them did from the US Embassy. Wheelus. Fortunately, Esso Continued on page 14
