UK Airlift For Egyptians Fleeing Libya

Thousands of Egyptians who fled violence in Libya are being taken back to their homeland in an emergency airlift using three British chartered planes.

 

They had made their way to the Libyan-Tunisian border as clashes continued between forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi and opposition groups.

The UN believes 180,000 people have reached Libya's borders, with almost 80,000 entering Egypt, a similar number in Tunisia and around 30,000 waiting to cross into Tunisia.
Many of them are migrant workers who have suffered reprisals from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's loyalists after being accused of encouraging the anti-government uprising.
Few have been able to travel on to their homes, so tent cities have been spouting up at border posts, amid long queues of refugees seeking food and clean water.
UN spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said "many, many terrified refugees" in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, were too afraid to move for fear they will be targeted.
Ms Fleming added that some waiting at the Tunisian border to cross had been in the queue for as long as three days and that sub-Saharan Africans in particular were not being allowed into Tunisia.
"We're very concerned that racism could be a factor," she said.
"All borders - land, air and sea - should be opened in a non-discriminatory manner. Anyone who needs to flee should be able to flee."
Britain is spending £4m chartering the planes to work around the clock taking Egyptians from Djerba in Tunisia to Cairo.
One of those leaving said: "I felt very, very pleased. At last I will see my family after many days of suffering."
HMS York, which delivered tons of medical aid to Libya's second city of Benghazi, also left with around 60 foreign nationals on board.
The Egyptian military has sent two ships to bring back stranded citizens. Officials say more than 100,000 Egyptians have returned from Libya since the uprising began.
Meanwhile, the US has again warned of the risks of imposing a no-fly zone.
America says no option has been ruled out in dealing with Libya but its Defence Secretary has signalled a cautious approach to imposing flight restrictions.
Robert Gates said there had been "loose talk" about the military options in Libya.
He pointed out that such a zone would require attacks on air defence installations, with the risk of civilian casualties.
Britain was among countries which earlier this week said that the no-fly zone was being considered.
Clashes are continuing between opposition forces, which are thought to control the east of the country, and Gaddafi loyalists as Libya teeters on the brink of civil war.
Air strikes have targeted the airport of the oil terminal town of Brega and a rebel position in the nearby town of Ajdabiyah in the east, a rebel officer said.
Opposition soldiers also said troops loyal to Colonel Gaddafi had been pushed back to Ras Lanuf, home to another major oil terminal and 375 miles east of Tripoli.
It comes a day after government loyalists launched a ground attack on Brega that was repulsed.
Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall speculated that even though the no-zone appeared to be a non- starter, the rebels could be getting help from outside Libya.
He said: "I think the Egyptians may well be helping the rebels because they have always disliked Gaddafi and they want a good relationship with at least the east of the country.
"If you haven't got air cover and you try to put an army together of the rebels and march on the capital to oust Gaddafi, you will be hit by his air force so you will never make it.
"Gaddafi does not appear to have the strength to put a force together to march 500 miles the other way and retake the major cities. Though, he could probably take some smaller towns near Tripoli.
"Therefore you are in a stalemate, while the two sides perhaps start talking and try to divide the country up.
"It is a negative thing, though, trying to divide the nation up.
"You could see a situation where the country broke apart into two or three bits and that would project instability into the Mediterranean and into Europe. It's still a very delicate situation."
:: Three Dutch marines are being held in Libya after being captured by forces loyal to Gaddafi while trying to rescue two Europeans, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
The men were captured on Sunday by armed men after they had gone ashore at Sirte with a helicopter from a Dutch naval ship stationed off the coast of Libya to help with evacuations from the North African country.
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