The
American ship Cape Ray departed today (3/7) from Italy to the
international waters southwest of Crete, to destroy the chemical
weapons of Syria within 60 days, through the hydrolysis process
onboard. Already concerns have been raised by the residents of Crete,
but also from environmental groups about potential risks of the
project. In an interview for tvxs, journalist George Sahinis speaks about a
"conspiracy of silence on the subject" and a "game of
millions". And, while Greece ignores the danger, the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) refers to
US authorities. Finally, Sahinis points that this is an "experiment"
that should not be conducted in a closed sea like the Mediterranean.
Key
parts from the interview of George Sahinis to the tvxs website
The issue
has been known by a BBC reference. Until then, no one knew that these
decisions were taken last November. Since that time, all media in
Crete, focused on the fact that for the first time a hydrolysis
process is conducted onboard in Mediterranean. Some MPs and MEPs
began to ask questions, but the answers were always vague, giving,
however, the impression that the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons, which has been awarded with the Nobel prize, has
the responsibility for the final decisions. There was no official
announcement from Greece ever.
In February,
the first questions imposed to the organisation, which had not been
answered until four days ago. What came out just now, is that the
only responsibility of the Organisation was to supervise the
reloading of weapons from Syria and that the Americans have the final
responsibility!
According to
our information, we understand that the Mediterranean is used by the
US because the method of hydrolysis on board will be conducted for
the first time and will be essentially an experiment. Additionally,
scientists admit that they don't know the consequences to the 35 year
old ship by the chemical substances. Cape Ray will be accompanied by
navy forces from Greece, Turkey and Germany to protect it from a
terrorist attack.
There are
indeed some dangers and scientists have set specific technical
matters. The OPCW, although claimed that will inform the crew and the
scientists of the American ship, never did. The most impressive is
that, answering some questions, the organisation ignores whether the
Americans made a study for environmental implications.
Nobody can
ensure us that even if there is a leakage or something goes wrong it
will be detected because the observers who say that they will
be on board are accountable to the Americans who are left to carry
the complete responsibility of the project. There is no other
independent body, no country - not even the EU - which has its own
observers although the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ev. Venizelos, has
ensured that there will be two Greek experts on board.
In case of
an accident, we cannot receive reliable information. But above all,
scientists say that in such a small space, in such a ship where the
strength of the system has been tested only in theory, especially
with chemicals of unknown origin to be hydrolyzed, no one knows the
potential reactions.
And yet
there is no provision in case of an accident or leakage. The
Americans insist that there will be no accident. How do you ensure
this when scientists have said that the ship, in a ripple over 3.5
beaufort, cannot put forward the hydrolysis procedures? You need to
go to a safe port. The Americans say that such a port is somewhere in
Croatia. So, the ship should amid rough seas to pass through the
territorial waters of Greece, Italy and Albania to get to Croatia
with the danger of a leakage.
The
Mediterranean was chosen because in all other states the
environmental conditions and laws are very strict. Activists and
environmental organizations are very powerful and have achieved major
convictions.
The US navy
will conduct a dangerous experiment far from the American coasts. In
case that this will succeed, the products from the hydrolysis could
be used in pharmaceutical industry, or to the production of
pesticides. It's a big business. However, the society of Crete is
probably the only one reacted through significant mobilizations like
the one in Arkadi. Mobilizations will be continued outside the
American base of Souda, on Saturday.
Source:
What is this "in theory" stuff? It was done the same way in the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt refers to the specific conditions not generally.
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