Libya Coastguard Commander Says He Hits Migrants to Protect Them
A Libyan coastguard commander sanctioned by the United Nations for alleged human trafficking and migrant smuggling said he hits migrants but does so for their own safety to prevent them from capsizing.Abdalrahman al-Milad, who heads a coastguard unit in Zawiya, just west of Tripoli, was one of six people sanctioned for involvement in people trafficking or smuggling in Libya on June 7, in the first move of its kind.The sanctions freeze bank accounts of those listed and ban them from travelling internationally…
Bodies of Three Sanchi Crew Members Identified
The bodies of three of the crew of the Sanchi, the tanker involved in the worst oil ship disaster in decades off the coast of China, have been identified, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported Saturday. The three crew members identified are Milad Aravi, Majid Naqian and Mohammad Kavousi, the agency reported. The semi-official Fars news agency said that the three were Iranian. The Iranian government is trying to get the bodies of the three crew members back to Iran, according to ISNA.
Two Ships Illegally Carrying Iraqi Oil Products Diverted
Multinational forces have diverted two ships, allegedly carrying petroleum products illegally out of Iraq, to the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. navy official said. U.S. Coast Guard Commander Don Bunn said that Navy Seals boarded the vessels Jinan and Milad 1 in the Gulf on Oct. 12 and diverted them to the Abu Dhabi emirate in the UAE. He said the ships had refused to follow directions issued to facilitate inspections ensuring compliance with U.N. sanctions. "Petroleum products were on both of them, illegally taken out of Iraq," Bunn said. Last week, Iraq accused United States forces of piracy and said U.S. Marines dropped onto the ships by helicopter and attacked the crew. U.S. and allied forces, which launched the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, patrol the Gulf to ensure U.N.
