Tag: U.S.

To begin exploration of its still-untapped Gulf of Mexico oil fields The United States must work with its ideological foe Cuba on joint safety plans as the communist island readies to begin exploration of its still-untapped Gulf of Mexico oil fields, the co-chief of the U.S. BP oil spill investigation said on Wednesday.William Reilly told reporters the United States should make its expertise and equipment available in case of an accident when a Chinese-made rig begins drilling for oil later this year in Cuban waters about 60 miles from the Florida Keys.Experts have said a Cuban spill, if not contained, could carry oil to Florida and up the U.S. east coast.But the longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba prevents American companies from operating on the island."It seems to me profoundly in the interest of the United States to ensure that should there be a spill in Cuban waters ... that all efforts are undertaken by both government and private entities in the United States to assist in responding," said Reilly, who is on a trip to Cuba.The two countries need to jointly develop protocols and plans for that to happen quickly, which has not been done because of U.S. policy, ...

A $3.6 million ransom seized in Somalia in May was destined for a pirate boss subject to U.S. sancti A $3.6 million ransom seized in Somalia in May was destined for a pirate boss subject to U.S. sanctions, an illustration of how a criminal enterprise that costs the globaleconomy billions of dollars pays scant heed to policy directives from Washington.Documents obtained by Reuters and multiple sources in Somalia show the bungled payment was meant to free the Chinese vessel MV Yuan Xiang, and that a pirate gang working for kingpin Mohamed Abdi Garaad was behind the seizure of the ship.While this transaction did not go through, it shows how the ransom industry can operate efficiently despite the strong public stance taken by the United States to curb the financial flows that fuel the flourishing piracy business.The payment of ransoms to Somali pirates is a sensitive and delicate subject. Some $240 million was paid to Somali pirates last year to free ships and crew and as of July another 400 sailors remained hostage off the Somali coast.Those in favor of ransoms argue they are the only safe way to free seafarers. Ransom payments are legal under British law, they are covered ...

United States cargo vessel was hijacked by four Somali pirates On April 8, 2009, the Maersk Alabama, a 17,000-ton United States cargo vessel, was hijacked by four Somali pirates several hundred miles east of Mogadishu. Bobbing in a lifeboatwith the skipper, 53-year-old Richard Phillips, they began negotiating with the ship's owners via cellphone for a multimillion-dollar ransom. For five days, the pirates and their hostage drifted in the Indian Ocean, shadowed by the USS Bainbridge, a destroyer that arrived at the scene not long after the hijacking. At dusk on April 12, Navy snipers killed three of the Somalis, and Phillips was rescued unharmed. The surviving pirate was seized and taken to the United States, where he pleaded guilty in a Manhattan courtroom to a host of charges and was sentenced to 33 years and nine months in a federal prison.The hijacking of the Alabama, the first seizure of an American-flagged vessel in 200 years, drew the country's attention to the return of a scourge once associated with plank-walks, treasure chests and peg-legged marauders. But, as Jay Bahadur makes clear in The Pirates of Somalia, buccaneering has evolved into a very modern activity, complete with night vision goggles, GPS units ...

Possible trade and diplomatic sanctions The United States is set to announce possible trade and diplomatic sanctions against Iceland for ramping up its whale hunts despite an international moratorium on commercial whaling.U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the Obama administration on Wednesday will cite Iceland under a domestic law that allows the president to act against foreign nationals or countries who flout international animal conservation rules. After the announcement the president has 60 days to decide on sanctions.Officials say the U.S. is particularly concerned about Iceland's escalated hunt for endangered fin whales and its recent resumption of exports of whale meat to other pro-whaling nations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not been formally announced.Source: Huffington Post