Western nations start planning Lebanon evacuations

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

ROME (AFP) — 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...