Chartered flight en route to Libya to get Canadians

OTTAWA – Another Canadian-chartered aircraft is en route to Libya to rescue Canadians and other foreigners.

An earlier charter left chaotic Tripoli with only its crew aboard after finding no Canadians waiting at the airport.

The aircraft could not stay put, a government official said.

"There were no other citizens from like-minded countries who needed the flight," she said, so it returned to Amman, Jordan, without passengers.

A Canadian C-17 military transport remained on standby in Rome, said Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

"The challenge remains getting landing slots in Tripoli," he said.

"We’re working in close collaboration with a number of countries to co-ordinate either commercial aircraft or the landing of a military aircraft."

In Rome, Stuart Greer of Global News says the effort to evacuate Canadians from Libya is "plagued by coordination problems." He said some Canadians are finding other ways to get out of the country, including the ferry from Libya to Malta.

MacKay said the earlier flight left empty because of confusion in Tripoli.

"That has to do with co-ordination on the ground, ensuring that people are aware that an exit is available to them," he said.

"We’re trying to co-ordinate that through the Department of Foreign Affairs and through other countries."

A Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, speaking to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity, said 177 of the 344 Canadians registered with the embassy in Tripoli are known to left Libya.

That apparently includes 26 Canadians aboard a ferry whose departure from the Libyan capital had been delayed by weather. The Maria Dolores, carrying 167 U.S. citizens and 118 other foreigners, left As-shahab port Friday for Valetta, Malta.

Its passengers have been aboard the catamaran since Wednesday. The voyage to Malta was expected to take at least eight hours, said Hanri Salia of Virtu Ferries, which leased the ferry to the U.S. government.

At least 213 Canadians have said they want out of Libya, where some 300 pro-democracy protesters have been killed by troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is urging all Canadians to leave the country as it edges toward civil war.

"Our goal is to get Canadians out – safely – by any means possible," Cannon said in Rome on Thursday.

"The situation in Libya is very quickly changing and continues to become more dangerous."

Cannon told a news conference that 74 Canadians managed to get to London, 35-40 went to Madrid, and 18 were safe in Malta. Dozens more were waiting to be evacuated on planes and boats, he said.

A government aircraft that was carrying Gov.-Gen. David Johnston on a state visit to Kuwait today will be diverted to the evacuation effort if needed, Cannon said.

"We are co-ordinating with our allies to get Canadian citizens out," Cannon said. "We are doing everything possible to ensure that we can get Canadian and chartered aircraft in to make that happen."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke on Thursday with British Prime Minister David Cameron and discussed their mutually "grave concern" about the violence in Libya, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Uprisings began in Tunisia and subsequently erupted in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, as well as other countries.

Reports from Libya include grisly details of massacres, lynchings and street fighting. It appears at least some army units have abandoned Gadhafi’s cause in favour of protesters. Other reports say mercenary groups are supporting the regime.