British flotillas prepared for Syria evacuation

“It’s very, very possible if it goes pear-shaped with floods of refugees then
we have a responsibility to look after our people out there,” senior Navy
commander said.

A Ministry of Defence source said: “There is no question at this stage of a
combat role, our aim is purely to consider contingency plans to evacuate
British nationals if there are ‘proxy conflicts’ in the Lebanon and Jordan.

“The worst case scenario would be terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Jordan if
the Syrian government seeks to de-stabilise the entire region.”

It is understood that special forces and diplomats have been in the region
assessing the number of British passports holders who have fled across the
border from Syria into the Lebanon and Jordan and drawing up evacuation
plans. More than 30,000 people have fled into Lebanon alone in the past two
days, according to the United Nations.

Senior officers have been briefed that there will be no direct intervention in
Syria but there is a strong possibility of “re-deployment”.

The fleet will be the biggest since the HMS Ocean led attacks on Libya last
year. Illustrious will carry Apache attack helicopters from 656 Squadron,
Army Air Corps, veterans of the mission against Col Muammar Gaddafi’s forces
last year.

The latest Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender will provide air defence
particularly against Syria’s anti-ship cruise missiles.

The fleet will more than double in firepower when it is joined by the French
carrier Charles de Gaulle, equipped with a strike force of Rafale fighters
and escort ships.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “The Response Force Task Group was established as
a high readiness, multi-faceted maritime capability to respond to crisis
events around the world.”

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