Embassy tells Americans to weigh leaving Egypt

CAIRO (AP):

THE United States Embassy in Egypt on Sunday recommended that Americans leave the country as soon as possible, while other nations urged their nationals to avoid travelling to Cairo as days of protests descended into chaos, with looters roaming the streets and travellers stranded in the airport.

The Sunday morning travel warning came as uncertainty mounted over how the demonstrations that have roiled the Arab world's most populous nation will play out. Those questions, coupled with the growing lawlessness on the streets, have panicked Egyptians and foreigners alike. Thousands flocked to the airport, frantically trying to secure a dwindling number of available seats. Others hopped on private jets and made their escape.

The travel warning said the embassy will update Americans about departure assistance as soon as possible. Other nations, including China, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Russia, have warned or advised their citizens against travel to Egypt, where protesters are demanding President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

no special flights yet

The US has yet to send in any special flights, and the only American carrier with direct service to Cairo, Delta Airlines, has suspended that service. Other nations, however, have flown in additional flights to evacuate their citizens as a growing number of commercial flights are either cancelled, suspended or delayed because of a curfew that only leaves a few hours in which people can freely move around the city.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan sent in over 15 flights in total to transport their nationals out of the country, an official at Cairo International Airport said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to brief the media. Royal Jordanian and Bahrain's Gulf Air switched to larger flights to accommodate more people.

Gulf Air Chief Executive Samer Majali said the carrier is in touch with officials in both Egypt and Bahrain and is prepared to put additional measures in place, if necessary.

"As the national airline of the kingdom of Bahrain, it is our responsibility to ensure our Bahraini nationals are brought back home," Majali said in a statement.

The protests have largely been centred on the main cities, including Cairo. The Red Sea resorts favoured by European and Russian tourists have not been affected, though a growing number of tour companies are offering those who booked trips to Egypt either refunds or visits to other destinations as alternatives, without penalty.

The lawlessness and uncertainty, further fuelled by the appearance of a mass exodus from Cairo, are likely to batter the tourism sector, whose revenues account for as much as 11 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

"We left behind a country with no order or security whatsoever," Mehmet Buyukocak, who worked in Egypt for six years, told Turkish news channel NTV upon arriving in Istanbul's airport. "People do as they wish. ... The army does not interfere - they are just watching."

"Even if Mubarak resigns, it will be chaos taking his place," he said, adding that there are other Turks who said they will remain in Egypt. "I pray God helps them all."

With questions abounding, the evacuations mounted.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said the government is evacuating about 750 nationals from Egypt on three planes, that are slated to arrive later in the evening, according to the Dogan news agency.

Azerbaijan sent an aircraft to evacuate many of its approximately 70 citizens in Egypt, including families of embassy staff and some staff. The decision followed the death of an embassy accountant on Saturday during the unrest, Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov said.

Iraq to send planes

And Iraq, no stranger to chaos, offered to evacuate its citizens stranded in Egypt.

"We will send whatever planes are needed to those who want to leave Egypt," Transportation Ministry spokesman Aqeel Hadi Kawthar told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It will be free of charge."

Belgian tour operator Jetair said it was evacuating its remaining tourists from Egypt starting Monday, and was dispatching two jets.

The wealthy found other options.

Within the span of four hours, 45 private jets flew out of the airport early Sunday, carrying a range of Arabs, Westerners and in some cases Egyptian celebrities, the airport official said. Among the celebrities who left was pop star Amr Diab, who was headed to London with his family aboard his private jet, she said.

A day earlier, at least 19 other jets flew out carrying the families of wealthy businessmen.

But for as many as 5,000 travellers at the airport, the options were limited. Thousands were forced to spend the night at the facility, either because they were unable to secure seats on flights or because their flights arrived after the curfew went into effect at 4 p.m.