BBC News - Libya rescue: UK forces to continue mission
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[Visit article link for video and more on this story. What I found very telling is that this rescue is for 150 British oil workers - which means: BP. As harrowing as things may be for the people there - here at home, my advice is to fill up now because this is really going to hurt at the pump and it's not looking to improve. Have some reserves, too ~ G]
Further rescue missions are planned to airlift an estimated 300 British nationals still stranded in Libyan desert camps.
Two RAF Hercules flew 150 oil workers, many of them British nationals, to the safety of Malta on Saturday.
Looters are known to operate in the territory south of Benghazi, controlled by opponents of leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, 53 Britons were among 100 on the last government-chartered flight out of Libya to Gatwick on Saturday.
The BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt, who is in Malta, says the RAF flights on Saturday were into an area which was "relatively safe" because the landing strip had been secured by local militia, and by oil company security.
He says "there are much more complicated and difficult places where there are still British workers", and rescue plans for them are being worked out.
"The biggest fear is of landing in area that is not in under the control of one side or the other," he added.
Meanwhile the Hungarian government has organised a charter flight out of Tripoli International Airport later on Sunday and is willing to accept British nationals.
The Romanian government is also sending a plane to Tripoli later on Sunday, with availability for approximately 40 EU citizens, including those from the UK if there is space available.
More details are on the Foreign Office website and the British government said it will also be regularly updating on all options to depart Libya via Twitter.
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Cumberland is heading back to Benghazi to help with further evacuations.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has revised upwards its original estimate of the number of British oil workers still in the desert.
'No soldiers'
It is understood that many of their employers had not registered them with the embassy in Tripoli, which meant consular staff had been unaware of their whereabouts when the first protests against Col Gaddafi's regime broke out two weeks ago.
The FCO now estimates there could be between 280 and 380 British nationals still in the country - and is urging those who have already left to contact them on 0207 008 0000 to ensure they have been accounted for.
Before the operation got the final go-ahead, British diplomats were flown out of Tripoli to Malta.
The embassy has now been temporarily closed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12589779
Further rescue missions are planned to airlift an estimated 300 British nationals still stranded in Libyan desert camps.
Two RAF Hercules flew 150 oil workers, many of them British nationals, to the safety of Malta on Saturday.
Looters are known to operate in the territory south of Benghazi, controlled by opponents of leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, 53 Britons were among 100 on the last government-chartered flight out of Libya to Gatwick on Saturday.
The BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt, who is in Malta, says the RAF flights on Saturday were into an area which was "relatively safe" because the landing strip had been secured by local militia, and by oil company security.
He says "there are much more complicated and difficult places where there are still British workers", and rescue plans for them are being worked out.
"The biggest fear is of landing in area that is not in under the control of one side or the other," he added.
Meanwhile the Hungarian government has organised a charter flight out of Tripoli International Airport later on Sunday and is willing to accept British nationals.
The Romanian government is also sending a plane to Tripoli later on Sunday, with availability for approximately 40 EU citizens, including those from the UK if there is space available.
More details are on the Foreign Office website and the British government said it will also be regularly updating on all options to depart Libya via Twitter.
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Cumberland is heading back to Benghazi to help with further evacuations.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has revised upwards its original estimate of the number of British oil workers still in the desert.
'No soldiers'
It is understood that many of their employers had not registered them with the embassy in Tripoli, which meant consular staff had been unaware of their whereabouts when the first protests against Col Gaddafi's regime broke out two weeks ago.
The FCO now estimates there could be between 280 and 380 British nationals still in the country - and is urging those who have already left to contact them on 0207 008 0000 to ensure they have been accounted for.
Before the operation got the final go-ahead, British diplomats were flown out of Tripoli to Malta.
The embassy has now been temporarily closed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12589779
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