Latest news
28 January 2013
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has submitted a Congressionally mandated report identifying ten nations whose fishing vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2011 or 2012. The 10 states are Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Italy, Mexico, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Tanzania, and Venezuela. All ten nations identified in this year’s report had vessels that did not comply in 2011 and/or 2012 with conservation and management measures required under a regional fishery management organisation to which the US is a party. The report is part of the efforts of the United States to ensure that the US fishing industry is not undermined by unsustainable or illegal activities. The US will soon start consultations with each of the 10 nations to encourage them to take action to address IUU fishing and by-catch by their fishermen.
Source: Merco Press | US NOAA identifies 10 countries that conducted IUU fishing in 2011-12
24 January 2013
United States (US) military aircrafts were used in order to transport more than 80 French troops and 124 tonnes of equipment into Mali.
The US examines a request for aerial refuelling support, made by the French.
Source: The Huffington Post | Mali Intervention: U.S. Planes Arrive In Mali
23 January 2013
The New York Times reports that militant factions in Africa represent a new face of terrorism — groups that are violently anti-American but not under the command and control of al Qaeda (AQ) leaders in Pakistan.
The increasing role of such groups was also noted by the independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Benghazi in September 2012. This inquiry had noted that the context in which the global terrorism threat, as most often represented by al Qaeda is ‘fragmenting and increasingly devolving to local affiliates and other actors who share many of AQ’s aims, including violent anti-Americanism, without necessarily being organized or operated under direct AQ command and control.’
Source: The New York Times | Panel Assails Role of State Department in Benghazi Attack
Source: The New York Times | North Africa Is a New Test
22 January 2013
NATO Patriot missiles began arriving at the Turkish border with Syria on 21 January 2013. The missiles are intended to protect Turkey from a potential Syrian attack. Turkey had formally requested protection from NATO last November. Six missile batteries are provided by Germany, the Netherlands and the US, which are amongst the few NATO members in possession of these advanced air protection systems.
Source: Reuters | NATO Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey to counter Syria risks
21 January 2013
On 17 December 2012, the Court of Appeal of The Hague decided that three Congolese witnesses who had testified before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and who were still being detained in the ICC Detention Centre in the Hague, were not within the jurisdiction of the Netherlands in the sense of Article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The three witnesses had applied for asylum in the Netherlands. However, the Court held that the Netherlands was not obliged to take over the witnesses from the ICC. The Court followed the judgment of the ECtHR in the case Djokaba Lambi Longa v. The Netherlands (8 October 2012, application no. 33917/12).
Source: Gerechtshof 's-Gravenhage | Judgment, 18 December 2012 | LJN: BY6075 | 200.114.941/01 (in Dutch)