>>US hires Danish ships for possible use against Iraq
Brussels, Aug 13, IRNA -- The US defense ministry, Pentagon, is going
to pay the Danish company A. P. Moellers, subsidiary company of Maersk
Line Limited, almost 1,7 billion Kr. for the use of eight ships. (1
USD = 7.59 Denmark Kroner)
The ships are to sail to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the
former base of American B52 bombers during the Iraq-Kuwait war 12
years ago, the Danish DRN-I online news reported Monday.
The cargo bay on the ships are to be filled with ammunition,
tanks, trucks and ambulances for the American army, it said.
The Maersk Company has to run the ships and their maintenance, but
this task could be conflicting with official Danish foreign policy,
said the website.
So far the Danish government has not made any comments on a
possible attack on Iraq.
Villy Soevndal of the Socialist Peoples Party says the issue is a
big problem and former Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen would
like the current Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller to explain
the matter, noted DRN-I. <<
irna.com
Maersk is one of the biggest shippers in the world. They do a lot of business with the US.
BTW, re: international law. As I mentioned, I have an LL.M. (Master of Law) in admiralty law, which is international law, as far as I am aware the oldest international law. It derives from agreements made by seafarers in order that international commerce should be regular and predictable. No nation can create international law. It derives from treaties. If a nation is not a signatory to a treaty, then it is not bound.
As members of the UN, we are bound by our agreements, but I am not aware of any requirement that the UN approve the use of force in order for it to be justified. |
