U.S., EU, Oil Firms Exit Libya

As violence in Libya intensifies and Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s regime appears to crumble, the U.S. State Department ordered all non-essential diplomats and embassy family members to leave the country. Many European countries are also evacuating citizens. Portugal sent a C-130 plane to retrieve its citizens, and Turkey sent ferries. Austria and Serbia are also sending planes. Oil companies, including Italy’s Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, and BP, are also evacuating their personnel. Meanwhile, the European Union is worrying about what to do with all the people trying to get out of Libya who aren’t European citizens, with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini saying continued upheaval will result in an “unimaginable” wave of immigration. Thousands immigrated to Italy after Tunisia’s revolution.