Western nations start planning Lebanon evacuations

Western nations began drawing up plans to evacuate their nationals from Lebanon on Friday, with governments advising against travel to a country on the brink of all-out civil war.Italy led the way with a "national air bridge" being set up by new foreign minister Franco Frattini, ANSA news agency quoted him as saying on his first full day in office.Elisabetta Belloni, head of a crisis unit in the Italian foreign ministry, told Italian television that Frattini had asked for a review of an existing evacuation plan, although she added it had yet to be activated.
Opposition Hezbollah gunmen seized control of predominantly Muslim west Beirut from pro-government forces on Friday-the third day of sectarian violence which has seen at least 11 people killed and dozens wounded.Rome's new foreign minister, who was sworn in on Thursday, asked that "special attention be paid to the central part" of Beirut where the fighting has been the heaviest, Belloni said.The foreign ministry said some 600 Italians live in Beirut, including about 50 in the city centre.Italy's 2,500 soldiers make up the largest contingent in the 13,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which was beefed up in 2006 following a war between Hezbollah fighters and Israel in southern Lebanon that left more than 1,200 people dead.Hours after taking the oath of office, Frattini said Italy may rethink the rules of engagement for its UNIFIL soldiers.Britain meanwhile warned its citizens on Friday to give Lebanon a wide berth, amid concerns that the conflict will deepen."We advise against all travel to Lebanon. The violent exchanges on the streets of Beirut and elsewhere between opposition and pro-government groups...continue to pose a danger to bystanders," the Foreign Office said.It cautioned Britons currently in Lebanon to "exercise particular vigilance at this time and wherever possible avoid areas where there has been fighting in recent days."London also warned that visitors to the country were likely to get stuck there, with roads to neighbouring Syria subject to closure.Other countries took broadly similar lines, with the Slovak foreign affairs ministry said all non-essential travel should cease immediately. "In case of imperative journeys they should contact the Slovak embassy in Damascus," foreign ministry spokesman Igor Skocek told AFP.In the Netherlands, the Dutch foreign ministry said it was prepared for the eventuality of evacuations, adding: "It's not on the agenda for the moment, but if it becomes necessary, we're ready."The Hague had already advised against travel to Beirut, but extended the warning to the rest of Lebanon on Friday, with Norway following a similar course.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080509145502.hyy81m31&show_article=1

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