Isis is behind a wave of new violence sweeping Iraq (AP)
The rise of Isis as a force in Islamic extremism has posed a potential new threat to British oil workers in Iraq.
Security of oil personnel is now under review and the Foreign Office is understood to be seriously worried about British nationals being kidnapped in a new wave of anti-west attacks.
The biggest fear for diplomats is that any captured oil workers could end up in the hands of the al Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), which has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
It is a chilling prospect for workers who earn their money in such dangerous places in the world and their families left behind back at home.
The British Government has echoed warnings by the US that westerners could be under surveillance by potential kidnap gangs.
This is unsettling news for workers and families, but they have lived with such threats before. Continuous risk assessments are a necessity for individuals and their companies.
There is always a possibility that a point will come when personnel have to be pulled out for their own safety.
But, in the meantime, security must be kept under constant review – as complacency is just as big a threat to personal safety.
