Britons urged to leave Bahrain
(UKPA) – 2 hours ago
The British government has urged all UK nationals to leave Bahrain as soon as possible and promised to help evacuate people if necessary.
The Foreign Office (FCO), which estimates there to be several thousand Britons in the protest-hit country, has updated its advice after the declaration of a three-month state of emergency in the Gulf kingdom.
Travellers were told: "The overall level of the advice has changed; we advise against all travel to Bahrain; we recommend those who do not have a pressing reason to remain should leave by commercial means as soon as it is safe to do so."
An FCO spokesman added: "We have comprehensive contingency plans with options for actively evacuating British nationals from Bahrain should this course of action become necessary."
The FCO website advised that officials did not think it "safe to leave your homes or hotels tonight" adding that they would be reassessing the situation.
The call comes after Britain urged restraint from all sides in Bahrain, where King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has imposed martial law by handing sweeping powers to security forces.
The king this week invited 1,000 Saudi-led troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council into his country, which has been shaken by a month of protests by members of the Shi'ite majority against the rule of the Sunni royal family.
Shops were shut and roads blocked in Manama on Tuesday, and a local politician claimed that a Bahraini man had been killed in clashes with police. Meanwhile, a Saudi security official was reported to have said that a Saudi soldier was shot and killed by a protester.
Britain's embassy in Bahrain has closed until further notice.
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman told reporters: "Clearly we are concerned about the escalation of the situation in Bahrain and we would call on all parties to exercise restraint. Intervention by Gulf countries at the request of the Bahrain government needs to be consistent with that."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gNRLKjM-kYLUBXZ-CKWGySXdefsA?docId=N0023911300245060059A
(UKPA) – 2 hours ago
The British government has urged all UK nationals to leave Bahrain as soon as possible and promised to help evacuate people if necessary.
The Foreign Office (FCO), which estimates there to be several thousand Britons in the protest-hit country, has updated its advice after the declaration of a three-month state of emergency in the Gulf kingdom.
Travellers were told: "The overall level of the advice has changed; we advise against all travel to Bahrain; we recommend those who do not have a pressing reason to remain should leave by commercial means as soon as it is safe to do so."
An FCO spokesman added: "We have comprehensive contingency plans with options for actively evacuating British nationals from Bahrain should this course of action become necessary."
The FCO website advised that officials did not think it "safe to leave your homes or hotels tonight" adding that they would be reassessing the situation.
The call comes after Britain urged restraint from all sides in Bahrain, where King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has imposed martial law by handing sweeping powers to security forces.
The king this week invited 1,000 Saudi-led troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council into his country, which has been shaken by a month of protests by members of the Shi'ite majority against the rule of the Sunni royal family.
Shops were shut and roads blocked in Manama on Tuesday, and a local politician claimed that a Bahraini man had been killed in clashes with police. Meanwhile, a Saudi security official was reported to have said that a Saudi soldier was shot and killed by a protester.
Britain's embassy in Bahrain has closed until further notice.
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman told reporters: "Clearly we are concerned about the escalation of the situation in Bahrain and we would call on all parties to exercise restraint. Intervention by Gulf countries at the request of the Bahrain government needs to be consistent with that."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gNRLKjM-kYLUBXZ-CKWGySXdefsA?docId=N0023911300245060059A
