Tuvalu warned by US 'for breaking Iran sanctions'
Source: The Telegraph
The European Union banned Iranian oil imports as well as providing insurance for vessels carrying Iranian oil on July 1, and the United States has new economic sanctions that have curbed Iranian oil imports by most other major nations.
Reflagging ships masks their ownership, which could make it easier for Iran to obtain insurance and financing for the cargoes, as well as find buyers for the shipments without attracting attention from the United States and European Union.
The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) changed the names and flags of many of its oil tankers ahead of the EU ban, part of sweeping economic measures aimed at pressuring Tehran to end its nuclear program.
As many as 22 ships owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company have been registered in Tuvalu, said Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/tuvalu/9388367/Tuvalu-warned-by-US-for-breaking-Iran-sanctions.html
Ian David
(69,059 posts)harmonicon
(12,008 posts)I say good for them. What should our sanctions against Iran have to do with them? Let them carry on and do as they see fit.
SDjack
(1,448 posts)We are driving sea level rise with our greenhouse gas emissions, and Tavalu will be underwater in less than 50 years. What more do we propose to do to them? Everything they own will be washed away.
if they continue to back oil tankers....what else do they expect this CO2 emitting product will do.
SDjack
(1,448 posts)some immigration visas. I see where China has build an empty city in Africa. That might work.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Waterworld?
bluedigger
(17,090 posts)Just give it a little time.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)We're picking on LITERALLY the 4th smallest country in the world!?!?!?!? I mean we gave Japan a pass and exempted them. Because.... it's Japan and they've already suffered enough.
And then we gave China a pass because.... well, they're China and they own us so they can do pretty much what they want. And even Turkey, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, South Africa and Sri Lanka had been given 6-month exemptions from the sanctions.
So in order to burnish are sullied reputation we decide that we're going to go and pick on Tuvalu? A country made up of 10,544 people and where: ''Tuvalu consists of three reef islands and six true atolls. Its small, scattered group of atolls have poor soil and a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (less than 10 sq. mi) making it the fourth smallest country in the world.''Tuvalu|link
- Damn USA-America, this shit stinks. Why don't you go and find someone your own damned size to pick on???
Nihil
(13,508 posts)> We're picking on LITERALLY the 4th smallest country in the world!?!?!?!?
And that's only because 2 of the 3 other countries below them can fight back!
The three smaller countries are Vatican City (they'll excommunicate too many
members of the administration), Monaco (who have their gambling tabs) and
Nauru (an obscure broke island that couldn't even manage to survive as a
tax haven or money-laundering base so it now has 90% unemployment,
no personal taxes & the most obese population in the world ... even the
best spinmeisters of the US administration couldn't turn *that* into a victory).
Freddie Stubbs
(29,853 posts)The other countries are being exempted from being punished for buying Iranian oil. Tuvala is actually helping Iran sell the oil. Two completely different things. It's just like how drug dealers get harsher sentences than those who are just drug users.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)...I'm comparing a policy of inequality. A policy where we are prepared to do bad things to those who do thing we don't like, and look the other way when others who are a threat to us or are our friends do as they damn well please.
- It's called hypocrisy. Which makes us hypocrites. Eventually hypocrites end up paying for it......
AnOhioan
(2,894 posts)happyslug
(14,779 posts)Nauru:, Third Smallest Country: 21 Square Mile, population: 9,378
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru
Manaco: 20 Square Mile, Popualtion 35,986
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco
The Vatican: .44 Square mile, 880 population
And that San Marino and Liechtenstein are just to large for the US to intimidate?
San Marino: 24 Square mile, Population:31,887
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marino
Liechtenstein, 160 Square Mile, Population: 36,281
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein
List of Countries by size (please note, islands owned by another country are among the listed countries, but with the "Mother" Country named beside it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area
Nihil
(13,508 posts)> Vatican
- Secretive with regards to own operations
- Very keen on "Do as I say" rather than "Do as I do"
- Many overly-religious members in the administration
> Monaco
- Lots of very rich (0.1%ers) living in luxury provided by the "peasants"
- Large part of the economy depends on gambling in one form or another
- No taxes on the very rich
> Nauru
- Money-laundering
- No personal taxes (even on the very poor!)
- High rate of obesity
truth2power
(8,219 posts)I see SOS Clinton on the news she's hectoring some country about their failings. And that's just one example.
Like all bullys, we only pick on those who are weaker than we are. It's sickening and makes
me ashamed ** to call myself an American.
This dick-waving on the part of the U.S. has got to stop. In the meantime, I hope that Iran DOES build a nuclear weapon. Not because I believe in nuclear proliferation. I think ALL nuclear weapons should be outlawed.
But in Iran's case, it's the only way to defend themselves from the greatest sponsor of state terrorism on the planet, and to prevent their country from being sown with cluster bombs and depleted uranium and their children being born with horrific birth defects.
Maybe we need to pick another national anthem. One that doesn't celebrate "bombs bursting in air".
How about, "Confirm thy soul in self-control; thy liberty in LAW". But I digress....
* * *
** Interesting thing -- As I'm typing this, there's a woman-caller on the Diane Reim show who's saying she's "ashamed" of the US meddling around the world. I am not alone.