Gulf oil slick has White House surrounded

Why Not Accept European Offers for Help and Expertise????

Barack Obama appears adrift without a paddle in the oily Gulf of Mexico waters. And while British Petroleum (BP) clearly plays the typecast role of the villain in this ongoing off-shore oil disaster, the Obama Administration looks more and more like the Keystone Kops. Indeed there’s plenty of blame to go around for both BP and Barack Obama.

Three issues confront the Gulf Coast more than 70 days after the accident.

First, the actual gushing “leak” pumping over a million gallons of petroleum into Gulf of Mexico waters has not been sufficiently abated or stopped. All the scientific technology to stop the massive petroleum hemorrhage has not worked so far. The oil keeps gushing at a rate of 60,000 barrels a day. This remains the primary problem.

Second is the widening oil slick continues to spread killing marine life, birds, fouling Louisiana’s rich fishing waters, and will soon to hit the beautiful beaches in Mississippi and Florida. The major waves of pollution slosh onshore in southern beaches and will be felt for decades. But let’s face it, the biggest hit will come this year and next as pollution shuts down the American fishing fleet, spoils tourist beaches, and causes a long term ecological and economic damage. BP has pledged at least $20 billion for a long-term clean-up effort. This may hardly be enough given the toxic political atmosphere and the Administration’s bitter blame BP game.

Third is the muddled response of the government itself. President Obama was slow to engage in a serious counter-attack on the crisis, but was quick at the draw threatening BP with massive legal action and plans about who was going to pay for the pollution. Initial leadership was lacking. Then seeing his political poll numbers fall, the president executed a rapid about face and started visiting the Gulf communities especially in hard hit Louisiana with shuttle diplomacy damage control.

Britain’s Economist magazine advised, “Although responsibility for the accident plainly lies with BP, a slick of recrimination now laps around the White House too.”

The massive government run and BP financed cleanup effort looks good on paper, but even the otherwise Obama-friendly New York Times called the ongoing oil cleanup a “fiasco” and there was “total chaos” in the efforts.

So when in doubt, appoint a Czar. Addressing the nation from Washington, President Obama presented a case, a speech which should have been in mid-May at the latest, outlining how to hopefully solve the problem and save the Gulf region from wider environmental damage. Obama’s case was pedantic, almost petulant, and lacking the emotional passion which Gulf Coast America needs to hear. This was a corporate pitch, lacking the genuine gravitas of a Presidential Address, yet ticking off talking points. But the ongoing oil spill remains the big story, not government spin cycle about it.

Now that there’s an Oil Slick Czar, to coordinate more bureaucracy, regulation and recrimination, we should nonetheless ask some questions.

Following the initial explosion and oil gusher into the Gulf, at least a dozen countries with oil cleanup and containment technology offered assistance among them Canada, the Dutch, and Norway. The Administration rebuffed the calls. Is Obama above taking needed advice from experts to stop a growing environmental disaster?

Let’s face it, maritime and eco-focused nations like the Netherlands and Norway have precisely the technology and expertise to at least try to tackle this problem. Moreover firms in the state of Maine have the oil boom technology available in quantity to at least contain the spill and slick from reaching the beaches. This would not shut the gusher but would contain and control the spreading mess.

While the oil spill was clearly not Obama’s fault, the mismanaged cleanup efforts certainly are. Contrary to the massive and violent natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, this crisis was man made, but has expanded and spread from one small point, not a huge weather front spreading over hundreds of miles.

It’s time to stop the droning political blame game and bottle up the leak. Millions of gallons have spilled so far and the crisis is far from over. The Gulf Coast residents nervously wait for results, not rhetoric.


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John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for WorldTribune.com.
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Hop, Hop Holland--and other Europeans too advance in World Cup Quarter Finals
(at least for now)

The Orangemen of Holland swept the field and won over Slovakia 2-1 in the latest World Cup match in South Africa. The Dutch are doing well in a land at least in part founded by their forefathers in 1652.

Germany has also moved into the quarterfinals defeating England 4-1 in a game dogged by controversary over a disputed goal by the Brits and called as null by a Referee. Same thing happened to Team USA against Slovenia by the way, except the result was 2-2 and the void goal cost America a win.

TEAM USA who got quite far in the World Cup, finally fell before Ghana in a 2-1 game. USA nonetheless proved we are serious players, not noivices, and going to be back. The French are singing Les Blues, Italy is out, as is Slovena and Slovakia.

The big boys from Latin America are circling--Brazil and Argentina.

The games are really getting down to the wire...Spain versus Portugal!!

This is getting really good.

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Happy Summer--and Viva Portugal!


Happy first day of Summer!

Yet in South Africa where the World Cup is being played it is actually the first day of Winter. You could almost say "Christmas came early" for Portugal with its stunning 7-0 victory over North Korea.

Not letting Capetown's cold rain dampen spirits, Portugal played North Korea in a tough but well--paced game. Some recalled the 1966 matchup between both countries in the World Cup.

The near historic score in a World Cup game puts Portugal in serious contention and seals the fate of the North Koreans. One ponders that after this humilitating rout in Capetown if the North Koreans will dare return to Pyongyang and the wrath of the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il? This could be very interesting beyond sports scores.

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Velkom to Football, ah, Soccer!

South Africa is hosting the World Cup of Football, the month-long extravaganza of the beautiful game; the country will be the backdrop to amazing sporting events until early July.

Team USA has done surprisingly well—a 1-1 tie with England, and a 2-2 draw with Slovenia. In the Slovenia game a third American Goal was disqualified by a referee and thus the USA did not win. Well, that is what the Referees decreed anyway.

The USA is performing remarkably; I always say Americans learn soccer and play it well. The Europeans—and of course Brazil and Argentina—have Soccer in their DNA and thus the beautiful game comes naturally.

Germany was off to an amazing start with a 4-0 win over Australia but Germany’s second game saw a very jarring loss to Serbia 1-0.

European teams are doing well with the Netherlands winning two games, Portugal winning one but Italy having a surprising draw with New Zealand.

The real surprises seem to be the poor performance of England (a favorite for some) and France. Les Bleus are just not up to the game after a spate of scandals and poor performances both on a draw with Uruguay and a loss to Mexico and off the pitch with arguing among teammates and staff.

Somali Pirates Plague East African Waters

UNITED NATIONS — Pirates still plague the waters off the Somali coast and are now equally active deep into the Indian Ocean. And despite international naval patrols “the attacks continue, indeed they are increasing,” according to the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Addressing the General Assembly, Ban cited statistics showing that in 2009 there were 406 attacks on merchant ships, an increase of 100 over the previous year.

Though the UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions dealing with these latter-day buccaneers, the practical effect has been a slap on the wrist. Though multinational naval patrols are now active off East Africa, the symptoms may be somewhat contained but the problem certainly not solved.

Somalia’s dangerous political instability and the endemic lawlessness present an off-shore opportunity awaiting pirates, for seizing usually unarmed merchant ships. Many officials concede that Somalia’s “failed state” status allows for well-armed militants, some as young as 15, to take to the seas and hijack ships to demand ransom and earn lucrative payments.

Given the militia in-fighting on the ground, motivation for the “pirate life” allows for fast riches, usually without high risk for coastal fishermen. Let’s face it, Thomas Hobbes Leviathan’s dictum of Life being “nasty, brutish and short,” certainly applies in Somalia; fighting well-armed fellow militias presents risk without really any reward. For pirates, foreign merchant ships offer passive resistance from their crews, and present a lucrative opportunity for ransom and hard currency.

Pirate ports in Somalis such as Harardheere see a proliferation of cash, flashy SUVs, fast lives for previously impoverished militants. Over 300 crew members from the captured ships are held by the buccaneers. Cargo companies nervously ponder which ships may fall victim next.

There’s some good news. Pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden, the key shipping channel exiting the Red Sea, have fallen from twenty per month in summer 2009 to between 4 and 5 today. Operation Atalanta, a European Union naval task force on station in the region, with ships from Belgium, France, Germany, and Sweden, has stemmed the tide but not reversed it. Still pirates are boldly striking deeper into the open Indian Ocean.

Rear Admiral Peter Hudson Operations Commander of the force briefed correspondents that the naval protection force is allowing for much needed, and indeed long targeted food delivery, into Somalia. “Over the last six moths, 32 WFP ships have been escorted into Somalia, delivering 350,000 tons of food to displaced persons.” Significantly since the operation commenced, no World Food Program ship has been hijacked. This is vital since pirates would capture UN food aid destined for fellow starving Somalis.

The commander stated, that this year European forces had dismantled over 60 pirate groups and processed 400 suspects. Herein lies a major problem; few countries except France have had the political will to try and convict the pirates. Most of the buccaneers have been set free. Officials concede that of the 400 captured, 40 had gone to prosecution.

So what message does this send concerning our willingness to seriously confront an enemy who does not represent a formal state or government? Capturing pirates only to then release them, holding the occasional trial, and passing additional Security Council resolutions are little more than a slap on the wrist and a business inconvenience to the buccaneers. Unless states get serious and use the lethal force available to stop or sink the pirate skiffs, the scourge will continue unabated, until there is a “whiff of grapeshot.”


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John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues.

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Revisiting the Grande Dame--Part III




The SS United States seen from IKEA's Cafe. The Swedish flag flies alongside the
Stars and Stripes. In fact the IKEA Cafe is the best place to view the ship.





America's Oceanliner the "Lady in Waiting" berthed at South Philly's Pier 82




The majestic red stacks of the SS United States as seen coming down Columbus Avenue!





And the mournful sight of the Oceanliner's proud name...need we say more???

People across America have rallied to save the SS United States. Coordinated efforts are key and I feel the www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org combines the right tone, pitch, and efforts for this task.

Look at the last picture again. Now check their site.

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Revisiting the Grande Dame PART II



Yes, nearly fifty years later...back Near but not ON the SS United States in South Philly.

Info sign from the SSUNITEDSTATESCONSERVANCY.ORG (great website!!!)









Yours Truly under a Panama Hat--no we are not sailing to the Canal Zone....

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Visiting the Grande Dame in Philadelphia


It's been nearly half a century since I sailed roundtrip to France on the SS United States. It's almost as long since I have even seen this magnificent oceanliner. So after writing a well-received column earlier in the Spring,on the sad plight of the ship, I decided "Why not revisit this Grande Dame in Philadelphia?"


As I wrote,"The United States is in danger of being scrapped! I’m not referring to contentious political debates plaguing America, but the hard, cold economic fact that the famed ocean liner, the SS United States, faces imminent danger of soon going to the scrap yard. It’s now incumbent for Americans and foreign friends alike to unite in a bipartisan effort to save this steamship from the fate which has befallen many of her ocean-going contemporaries."


For those who don’t remember , the SS United States was the proud flagship of American passenger ocean travel in the post-war era. After entering service in 1952, the luxury liner began a career which saw 700 successful Atlantic crossings until 1969. Using the highest maritime technology, still a marvel today, the SS United States crossed the Atlantic a full half-day faster than its most serious competition the Cunard Queen Mary. On her Maiden voyage in 1952 she won the coveted Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, a record which still holds today!

The SS United States was hardly a precursor to modern cruise ships, those top-heavy “love boats” which ply the Caribbean, but a proud and stately Grande Dame of the high seas who moved with grace, manner and speed along with European liners such as the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and the France. She sailed between New York, Le Harve, France and Southampton in Britain.



Since 1996, the United States has been at moored in south Philadelphia. The once opulent ocean liner who carried American Presidents, European royalty, Hollywood movie stars and thousands of ordinary travelers including this writer in the early 1960’s, now rests astride an IKEA parking lot rusting in the rain and sitting as a silent but painful testament to changing times and modes of travel.