Word: tankers
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...Filipino, the Philippine government has been unable to influence ship owners to negotiate ransoms or take military action. The International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) in the Philippines says 122 Filipino seafarers are currently being held captive, which includes the 23 onboard the MV Stolt Strength, a Japanese-owned chemical tanker that was hijacked on Nov. 10 last year. ISAC secretary-general Joseph Entero says the ship's owner is unwilling to pay ransom, the hostages' families are being given little information, and the government is not doing enough. "[The government calls] our overseas workers the modern-day heroes...
Getting to Diego Garcia is likely to take ships through or near waters inhabited by pirates - and the hijacking of this ship would dwarf the Somali pirate hijacking of the Saudi tanker last year. To protect this cargo, at least 15 Navy personnel, known as an Embarked Security Team, will be bunked aboard the container ship. "That's half a platoon strength onboard and they will be packing an awful lot of ammo and huge amount of firepower," says one ex-special forces soldier. "They will be Navy Seals with side arms and MP5Ks [compact submachine guns] for close quarters...
Other Defense contracts have resulted in commercial ships getting some extra-special defense. Maersk (the owner of the Alabama, whose captain was rescued Sunday) won a deal last November to transport naval jet fuel from South Korea to the Indian Ocean in a 856-foot tanker, the Maersk Rhode Island. A 12-strong Force Protection team was tapped to travel on that. Involved in prepo for decades, the Norfolk, VA-based shipper last January also won a deal estimated at $316 million to deliver defense equipment, mail and PX merchandise globally...
Twenty years since the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground on the night of Mar. 24, 1989 - spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, which would coat 1,300 miles of coastline - Alaska's Prince William Sound is still feeling the effects. Despite the extensive, years-long clean-up effort, oil can still be found in spots on the Alaskan coast, especially under the surface. (See pictures of the Exxon Valdez disaster...
...what began as a peaceful, almost playful demonstration got nasty very fast. First, some protesters commandeered four tractor trailers, including a tanker filled with fuel, and blocked traffic along a Nairobi highway. Three police officers who tried to talk to the students retreated under a hail of stones. Some of the protesters were clearly spoiling for a fight, chanting, "Tear gas, tear gas, we demand tear gas!" As the protest wore on, people working downtown locked themselves behind security gates in stores and restaurants and peered anxiously through the grilles...