Foreign Envoys Begin Pulling Out of Iraq

Diplomats were pulling out of Iraq today, and the United Nations evacuated hundreds of personnel and their families from Israel as fear of war heightened in the Middle East.

Britain evacuated all but one diplomat from Baghdad. Five British diplomats, including Ambassador Harold Walker, left in a convoy at dawn headed for Amman, capital of neighboring Jordan, according to diplomatic sources.

British Consul General Christopher Segar stayed behind to attend a court trial of a British citizen whom Iraq has charged with trying to escape illegally. Segar is expected to leave Iraq soon.

Belgium today recalled its two diplomats from Baghdad after consultations with its European Community partners, Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Eyskens said.

A total of 578 men, women and children arrived in Cyprus today from Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as part of the U.N. evacuation.

The United States, Belgium, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands announced preparations to withdraw their diplomats.

The Bush Administration has said its remaining diplomats will be pulled out of Baghdad on Saturday. Western diplomatic sources in the Iraqi capital said today that an aircraft will probably be chartered to evacuate some U.S. diplomats, as well as diplomatic staff from other Western countries.

The Iraqi government today deployed additional security around the U.S. Embassy in the posh Masbah district.

France chartered two Air France jetliners to fly to Israel, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to evacuate French citizens who want to leave but cannot find space on regular flights. French officials did not estimate how many would do so.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said France is also reducing staff at its other Middle East embassies.

Officials from the 12-nation European Community are meeting in Luxembourg and are expected to reach a joint decision to evacuate their embassies, an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Rome.

In Moscow, the official news agency Tass reported that another group of Soviet citizens evacuated from Iraq returned to the Soviet Union on Wednesday night. Tass said 290 Soviet citizens will remain in Iraq “to ensure the functioning of Soviet institutions.”

In Australia, Prime Minister Bob Hawke said the three remaining Australian diplomats in Baghdad will be pulled out soon.