Yemen: Royal Marines Ready To Evacuate Brits

Royal Marines are on standby off the troubled Arab state of Yemen to evacuate British citizens - after violent protests in the country left 400 people dead.

A force of around 80 marines is said to be on board a naval support ship, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria.

Naval sources revealed they have contingency plans to evacuate any remaining British citizens from Libya and Syria, if their political crises deepen.

The Foreign Office has already advised all British nationals to leave Yemen by commercial means.

There are fears for the safety of expatriates in the country, following weeks of violent unrest.

Over the weekend, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh fled to Saudi Arabia for treatment of shrapnel wounds following a rocket attack on his compound on Friday.

His departure after 33 years in power sparked celebrations on the streets of Sanaa.

But there are fears that the political vacuum left by his absence, or his eventual return, could trigger more fighting.

America is thought to be pressing Saudi Arabia to persuade Mr Saleh not to go back.

Meanwhile, Yemeni vice president Abdul Rabu Mansoor Hadi, who is seen as more of a reformist, has met the US ambassador.

Mr Hadi is due to meet other senior Western diplomats, including those from the UK over the next 48 hours.

But Britain has already sent 80 commandos aboard one of the Royal Navy's support ships, the 31,000-ton RFA Fort Victoria, to sit off Yemen.

It will soon be joined by another RFA vessel, the 16,000-ton landing ship Cardigan Bay, which will be situated off the coast of Yemen.

The RFA's Argus and Fort Victoria were diverted through the Suez Canal a fortnight ago to stand off Yemen.

The three RFA vessels are part of the Royal Navy's Response Force Task Group which is currently launching Apache helicopter raids from HMS Ocean on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya.

RFA Argus is now on her way back to the main task group with her place taken by RFA Cardigan Bay, which has a small hospital aboard.

A Royal Navy source said: "There are about 80 Royal Marines from Alpha Company 40 Commando on RFA Argus and RFA Fort Victoria off Yemen, though RFA Argus is being replaced by RFA Cardigan Bay.

"The ships could evacuate up to 500 British subjects and others from friendly nations which is more capacity than we think would be needed."

The Marines are a landing force company equipped with landing craft and helicopters.

They could go in and secure a port area after the message has been sent out to expatriates to gather there to be evacuated.

British expatriates could be at particular risk because Yemen is a stronghold for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular - arguably the most active and dangerous of the splinter groups inspired by Osama bin Laden.

Britain will also boost its force of Apache helicopters attacking Col Gaddafi this week.

The RFA storeship Fort Rosalie will pick up a fifth Apache later this week and ferry it to the Royal Navy's helicopter landing ship HMS Ocean off Libya.

HMS Ocean already has four Apaches which began attacking Libyan regime forces early on Saturday morning.