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UAE says 'sophisticated' tanker attacks likely the work of a state actor
[DAWN] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) told United Nations...boodling on the grand scale... Security Council members on Thursday that attacks on four tankers off its coast on May 12 bore the hallmarks of a "sophisticated and coordinated operation," most likely by a state actor. The May 12 attacks targeted two Saudi tankers, an Emirati vessel and a Norwegian tanker. A statement issued by the UAE's Foreign Ministry had placed the ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. The US Navy's 5th Fleet oversees the region. The tanker attacks came after Washington deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region as it engaged in a war of words with Tehran, which had begun to roll back commitments set out in the 2015 nuclear deal that the US withdrew from last year. Read more: Trump exit from Iran nuclear deal enters uncharted territory In a document on the briefing to Security Council members, the UAE, joined by Norway and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , did not say who it believed was behind the attacks and did not mention Iran. The attacks required expert navigation of fast boats and trained divers who likely placed limpet mines with a high degree of precision on the vessels under the waterline to incapacitate but not sink them, according to the preliminary findings of the countries' joint investigation. "While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor," the three countries said in the document. They believe it was the work of several teams of operatives, which coordinated the timed detonation of all four explosive charges within less than an hour. Posted by: Fred 2019-06-07 |
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