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Fijian Soliders Freed After Captivity in Syria

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Suva, Fiji

In late August 45 Fijian soldiers acting as U.N. peacekeepers, were kidnapped by Syrian rebels on the border between Syrian and Israel known as the “Area of Separation”. The “Area of Separation” refers to a 70- Kilometer strip between the border of Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights region, which has been policed by U.N. peacekeepers since 1974. The kidnapping militants said the reason for the action was because they believed the U.N. peacekeepers were supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar- al Assad and ignoring the plight of the Syrian people.

IW #13 Fiji Soliders
Fijian Soliders in the video posted to the internet by Syrian rebels.
(Photo courtesy of ABC News)

Military officials in Fiji released, immediately after the incident that they were in negotiations with the Syrian Militants.  The Fijian military then released to the press, earlier this week that they had secured the released of their soldiers from the Syrians, who have been identified as the Nursa Front, without any demands or conditions. They then immediately tried to retract their statements, but the reason for this is still unknown. The U.N. never reported any such progress with the negations for the release of the Fijian solders. The Associated Press reported that it would be unlikely that the U.N. gave permission for Fiji to release that their soldiers would be coming home, as the U.N. usually doesn’t release information on hostage matters until it is completely resolved.

After Fiji prematurely released their statements the Syrian militants posted a video of the captured soldiers on their Twitter and YouTube accounts of the soldiers saying they were being treated well and expected to be released soon. The Fijian government then reported again that the Syrians had dropped all demands and conditions and that the soldiers were to be released. This time the statements were not premature,  after the videos were posted the Fijian soldiers were released on the Syrian side of the border. The soldiers were made to walk through the border crossing to the Israeli controlled territory. They were reported to be in good condition and were sent to receive medical treatment in Israel before being able to return home to Fiji. Fiji’s presidential candidate Frank Bainimarama called the Fijian soldiers heroes, to be able to keep their cool under such extreme circumstances. He further stated that it was the discipline of his troops that kept any militants and any U.N. forces from being killed throughout the incident. Many nations have now pulled out their military contingents from U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Golan Heights out of concern that the war in Syria will spill over the border.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press — Fiji May Have Jumped the Gun on Fate of its UN Troops — 10 September 2014

Al Jazeera — Syria Rebels Free UN Peacekeepers — 11 September 2014

ABC News — UN: 45 Fijian Peacekeepers Freed in Syria — 11 September 2014

Reuters — U.N., Fiji Say No Word on Location of Peacekeepers Abducted in Golan Heights — 31 August 2014

 

Italy’s Good Intentions and Humanitarian Efforts May Ultimately Harm Europe

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ROME, Italy – With all of the turmoil and fighting currently widespread throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa, many citizens have flocked from countries like Libya, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, and elsewhere. In an effort to help these refugees, Italy has opened up its borders for refugees to enter into Europe, particularly in Southern Italy around Sicily.

Mehdi Nemmouche, the shooter in the Brussels Jewish Museum murders, stands with his ak-47 during the attack. (Photo courtesy of Breitbart)

Italy’s new immigrant policy, dubbed “Mare Nostrum”, or “Our Sea”, came last year after Pope Francis flew to the scene of a sunken migrant vessel off the coast that went down unaided. Pope Francis asked, “Who has wept for the people who were on the boat?” Italy took this as inspiration to help refugees who make it across the Mediterranean Sea. Now, Italy takes in refugees, offers them medical treatment, food, water, and temporary shelter. Further, Italy has decriminalized migrants, and also adopted a de facto “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy where refugees may stay a few nights and then move onwards to other European nations, such as Germany and Sweden, that often grant asylum.

While this initially seems great, and for many it is a wonderful thing, there also comes skepticism. Italy is taking in nearly 1,000 migrants per day, and has already taken in 119,939 migrants since January, far more than the 42,000 from all of 2013. The problem lies in that the nearly 120,000 migrants have entered into Europe with relative ease as far as security checks goes, and now may be moving fairly undetected and unaccounted for throughout Europe. With a particular eye on some of the nations where the refugees are coming from, countries where ISIS is growing and expanding at a scary rate, this creates a serious security concern for Europe.

One of the countries with many emigrants to Italy is Libya, a nation that France calls a ‘terrorist hub’. And while it may be unclear exactly if or how many dangerous migrants may have snuck through already, one thing is clear: there has already been at least six serious attacks planned against member states of the European Union. British Prime Minister David Cameron warned the British people, “be in no doubt about the threat that so-called Islamic State poses to us.” Cameron went on to cite the deadly attack in a Brussels Jewish museum as a successful ISIS attack on European soil.

Even without new ISIS members coming into Europe, there already exists a serious problem throughout Europe as Europeans continue to be recruited into ISIS. Two Austrian girls of 15 and 16 years in age, Samra Kesinovic and Sabina Selimovic, have recently been recruited by ISIS and have already led at least two additional girls, ages 16 and 14, to try and follow to Syria to convert.

It is quite clear that the ISIS problem in Europe is a present problem and very likely to get much worse as ISIS’s presence and influence continues to spread. ISIS is already in Europe and influence is spreading throughout Europe in the form of recruiting, and increasing via immigration through open borders like Italy. While Italy is helping many who are in dire need of help, it must be careful to prevent the same people from coming over who caused the massive flocks to begin with.

For more information, please see:

New York Post – Gun-wielding teen girls from Europe join ISIS – 10 September 2014

RT – France calls for new Libya intervention, calls it ‘terrorist hub’ on Europe’s doorstep – 10 September 2014

The Washington Post – Amid flood of refugees to Europe, Italy opens a back door – 9 September 2014

Breitbart – Prime Minister: Six ISIS Attempted Attempts Against European Nations Already – 9 September 2014

VDC: The Weekly Report 9-8-2014– 15-8-2014

 

BP “Grossly Negligent” in Setting Off Largest Oil-Spill in U.S. History

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

WASHINGTON DC, United Sates of America – On Thursday a judge ruled that oil giant BP PLC (formerly British petroleum) was grossly negligent in its conduct which lead to the blowout that caused an explosion that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and caused the largest oil spill in United States history. Carl Barbier, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, finding of gross negligence, or more reckless and extreme behavior, means that BP faces up to $18 Billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act. BP faces as much as 18 billion in pollutions fines, mostly in penalties under the Clean Water Act, far more than the $3.5 billion the company had put aside to pay for civil penalties it expected under the Clean Water Act. If the judge’s ruling is upheld the payout the company will be forced to pay under the Clean Air Act would be higher than any penalty paid in the history of the legislation. BP shares fell $2.72, or 5.7 percent, to $44.99 per share midday on Thursday, dropping the company’s market value by $7 billion. The price per share was near $60 just before the April 2010 spill.

Fire boats battled a blaze at the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig on April 21, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico just after an explosion killed 11 rig workers and sparked a blowout that would cause the largest oil spill in United States history. (Photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal)

As a result of the ruling BP now faces a fine under the Clean Water Act of $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled during the 2010 spill. While the total number of barrels spilled is being debated it is likely to fall between 2.4 million and 4.1 million, which would make for a fine of between $10.3 billion and $17.6 billion. BP has said that it will appeal the ruling which will put on hold the final decision on the total fine to be paid by BP and will likely delay pending court cases concerning the 2010 spill.

During the six months after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded more than 8,000 birds, sea turtles and marine mammals were found injured or dead in the Gulf region. Scientists are still assessing the long-term effect that the estimated 170 million gallons of crude oil that spewed into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP oil spill will have on the Gulf and its critical ecosystems. Although oil is no longer readily visible on the surface of the water in the Gulf, it isn’t gone. Scientists have found significant quantities of oil on the seafloor, and the oil that has already washed into wetlands and beaches will likely persist for several years or even decades. Microscopic particulate oil is also hazardous for marine life, effecting life at all levels of the food chain and ultimately impacting the fishing economy in the gulf region.

Scientists will continue to watch for fluctuations in wildlife in the gulf region. Four years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil disaster, the largest oil spill in United States history until the 2010 BP oil spill, the herring population collapsed demonstrating that the effects of oil on ecosystem’s may take years to be seen. Nearly 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spill the Herrin population has not yet recovered.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Court Orders BP to Pay Up To $18 Billion in Damages for Gulf Oil Spill – 4 September 2014

Bloomberg – ‘Worst Case’ BP Ruling On Gulf Spill Means Billions More in Penalties – 4 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – BP is Found Grossly Negligent in Deepwater Horizon Disaster – 4 September 2014

The National Wildlife Federation – How Does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat? – 2014

 

Halliburton to Pay 1.1 Billion in Damages for Its Role in Largest Oil Spill in U.S. History

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

Washington D.C., United States of America – Halliburton, North America’s largest oilfield services provider has reportedly reached a $1.1 billion settlement for the majority of claims related to its role in contributing to the BP (formally British Petroleum) Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The settlement, which includes legal fees, was announced on Tuesday and would be paid in three instalments into a trust until appeals are resolved over the next two years. The settlement is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Halliburton said. The company announced the settlement on their website in broad terms without providing any statements form company executives.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also known as the Macondo blowout, caused the largest oil spill in United States history effecting 2,500 to 68,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. The spill called into question the safety of the controversial practice of deep sea oil exploration.

The settlement would protect Halliburton from certain punitive damages if the court were to rule later that the company had been negligent or ‘grossly negligent’ for its role in contributing to the blowout, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum said. Following the announcement Halliburton’s shares were down 0.18 percent at $67.49 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. “We think this is a smart move by Halliburton,” said Stewart Glickman, an equity analyst at S&P Capital IQ. “While state claims by Louisiana and Alabama remain, we think this trims legal overhang.” Rig contractor Transocean, which employed nine of the 11 workers killed on the rig, agreed to pay $1.4 billion in settlement last year, while BP has paid about $28 billion so far.

The deal comes as Halliburton, BP and Transocean await a ruling form United States District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans on the degree to which each actor was negligent in the explosion and resulting oil spill. By settling, Halliburton would avoid the risk of higher damages if it is found to be grossly negligent. “This lifted the uncertainty and eliminated the impact of a potential negative ruling from Judge Barbier,” said Tom Claps, a litigation analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group.

Halliburton was BP’s cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded on Earth Day 2010. The explosion killed 11 workers and triggered the largest oil spill in United States history, spilling 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days. The company was responsible for the placement of centralizers that are intended to help stabilize the well bore during the cementing process. Halliburton had earlier blamed BP’s decision to use only six centralizers – to save “time and money” – for the blowout that caused the explosion and massive spill.

David Uhlmann, a law professor at the University of Michigan and a former chief of the Justice Department’s environmental crimes section, said that Halliburton does not admit any liability in the settlement. However, he argues that the company never have agreed to pay more than a billion dollars unless there was substantial evidence that it was negligent.” The oil spill cost billions of dollars in economic damages for Gulf residents and the regional economy and threatened critical ecosystems in the region. The long-term economic and environmental impacts of the spill remain unclear.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Halliburton to Pay $1.1bn for US Gulf Spill – 2 September 2014

Reuters – Halliburton to Settle U.S. Gulf Spill Claims For $1.1 Billion – 2 September 2014

The New York Times – Halliburton to Pay $1.1 Billion to Settle Damages – 2 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Halliburton to Settle Deepwater Horizon Claims For $1.1 Billion – 2 September 2014