Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd called on Australians in Libya to leave the country as violent protests continue on the country's streets. Demonstrators have reportedly taken control of much of the eastern city of Benghazi in violent protests against Muammar Gaddafi, the country's leader for the past 42 years. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of casualties, with reports suggesting the number of dead has reached more than 200. Rudd says almost 100 Australians are registered to be in Libya. “The travel advisory for Libya has now been upgraded,” he said. “We are calling upon Australians now to reconsider their need to travel, and if it is safe to use commercial means to exit Libya now, then you should do so. “This is a difficult and dangerous environment. “We would activate whatever was necessary, whenever it was necessary,” he said when asked about a possible evacuation similar to the one implemented in Egypt during their 18-day revolution. BM
