GREEK AUTHORITIES SEIZE SHIP CARRYING EXPLOSIVES EN ROUTE TO LIBYA

Click to see the full-size image

On January 10, the Greek authorities seized the Tanzanian-flagged ship “Andromeda” that was carrying explosive materials on its way to the Libyan city of Misurat, according to Reuters. The Greek authorities reportedly found 29 containers carrying ammonium nitrate, non-electric detonators and 11 empty liquefied petroleum gas tanks while inspecting the ship after it had been intercepted near the Greek island of Cretet.

Greek Navy Rear Admiral Ioannis Argiriou told reporters that the materials that were sized on the ship could be used “for all sorts of work, from work in quarries to making bombs and acts of terrorism”.

The investigation revealed that the ship was loaded with the explosive materials in the Turkish ports of Mersin and Iskenderun. Moreover, the ship operators hid its real destination by providing a fake path toward Djibouti and Oman.

The Libya city of Misurat is under the control of the Libyan Government of National Accord (LGNA) that’s mainly backed by Turkey and Qatar. The LGNA is also linked to several terrorist organizations including the Shura Council of Mujahedeen in Derna. This could mean that the explosive materials were indeed meant for military use by the LGNA-linked armed groups.

Since the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2014, Turkey and Qatar had shipped tons of weapons to the LGNA via air and sea routes. However, many of these weapons shipments were intercepted by the Libyan National Army (LNA) that’s backed by Egypt and the UAE.

These weapons and explosives shipments are considered a direct violation of the European Union and United Nations arms embargoes, that prohibited the sale, supply or transfer of arms to Libya since 2011.

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Search This Blog