Four U.S. oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria – so are we desensitized or what Friday, May 11 2007 

Africa and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy and Nigeria and North America and Terrorism and Uncategorized Kent 9:14 pm

 

(photo: www.insurancebroadcasting.com) 

By Tom Ashby

LAGOS (Reuters) – Gunmen kidnapped four American oil workers from a barge off the Nigerian coast on Wednesday in the 10th attack on Western oil facilities in nine days in Africa’s top producer.

Rebels from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said they had called for a month of “mayhem” before a new government is inaugurated in Nigeria on May 29, after disputed elections last month.

Militant attacks have already cut output in the world’s eighth largest oil exporter by a quarter.

“The Global Cheyenne, a construction barge working in the Okan field, was attacked by unknown armed persons in speed boats,” U.S. oil company Chevron said in a statement.

“Four expatriate American hostages were taken from the vessel and some government security forces suffered injuries during the attack.”

No group claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which helped push London Brent crude oil futures near $66 a barrel on Wednesday morning. Prices eased later.

But MEND is at the vanguard of an armed insurrection to secure regional control over the delta’s oil wealth, and militants see the transition to a new government on May 29 a chance to extract concessions.

About 100 foreigners have been kidnapped this year in the vast wetlands region, but most were released after their employers paid ransoms. The abduction of the Americans takes the total number of foreigners now in captivity to 13.

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Aid Workers Feared Kidnapped in Somalia Friday, May 11 2007 

Africa and Foreign Policy and Global and Somalia and Terrorism and World Kent 12:24 pm

 

 (photo: africaguide.com)

(From CNN.com) 

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Reuters) — Two aid workers, one British and one Kenyan, are missing feared kidnapped in northern Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region, their organization said on Thursday.

CARE International said the Briton, who is from Northern Ireland, and his colleague had been missing in the Horn of Africa nation since at least Wednesday. A diplomatic source said the incident did not appear to be terrorist-related.

CARE spokeswoman Beatrice Spadacini said it was thought the abductions might be connected with a local issue and that tribal elders were working towards securing a release.

“People are confident,” she said.

A Kenyan source, who tracks Somalia but asked not to be named, said gunmen seized the relief workers in a village some 75 miles (120 km) south of Puntland’s capital Bossasso.

There was no word on who the attackers might be.

Puntland runs itself independently from the rest of Somalia and has been relatively more peaceful in recent years.

But the whole Somali region has a history of abductions and assassinations of local and foreign aid workers, particularly in the self-declared independent enclave of Somaliland. Authorities generally blame militant Islamists for attacks on foreigners.

 

Big Changes Looming with Sarkozy, right? Think again. Friday, May 11 2007 

Elections and Europe and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy and France and Global and Politics and Sarkozy Kent 1:31 am

 

(photo: www.interet-general.info) 

 

As a candidate, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy harped on the fact that
France was in dire need of change. Now, as President elect, he has the opportunity to enact those changes that he claims the French people have given him the mandate to make. It is only fitting that we should see some action with this vigorous campaign talk, correct? Well, not so fast.

 

Unfortunately forFrance, it is not likely that they will be seeing any of this needed change too quickly, for Mr. Sarkozy is remarkably realistic and savvy politician.

 

To begin with, it is clear that France, after 12 stagnant years with one of their political “dinosaurs”- Jacques Chirac, is in desperate need of an economic shake up. For one of the European Unions founding members, lackluster growth and an abysmally high youth unemployment rate have become the norm, so much so that these rates have become economic standards. It would seem, therefore, that Mr. Sarkozy, touting less taxes and a more robust economy, would be the natural fit.

 

But this is where things get tricky, for Sarkozy knows that, in a country entrenched in labor union politics, even dreaming about an economic shake up is bound to flood the streets with millions of angry Frenchmen and women.

For the past decade Mr. Sarkozy’s every move has been meticulously made with his eye on the prize – the Presidency of theRepublic of France. Now that he has attained his goal, I don’t see him want to get rid of it right away. The reality of the situation is, if he wants to see a second term after these first five years, he may have to put aside his wishes for an economic shake up aside, or at least find a way to implement them slowly. To speak generally, France does not take kindly to the idea of American-like open market reforms.

Speaking of “American-like”, Washington – and especially members of the Bush administration – has already found the tone coming across the Atlantic to be much lighter than that of Mr. Chirac’s. Does this mean we can look forward to a renewed cooperation with our oldest ally?

 

Sure it does. But don’t expect the Bush/Sarkozy relationship to be equal to that of Bush/Blair. While openly pro-American, Mr. Sarkozy has already taken the opportunity to disagree with Mr. Bush on
Iraq (no surprise there), and his stunted response to environmental changes.

 

Though Sarkozy will a vast improvement in terms of working with the United States on global problems and common interests, let’s not forget that the French still enjoy a certain amount anti-American rhetoric to accompany their leaders.