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Economy
US sues perpetrators of oil spill
2010-06-02
[Iran Press TV Latest] US Attorney General Eric Holder says the country has launched civil and criminal investigations to prosecute those responsible for America's worst oil spill.

"We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who has violated the law," Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters in New Orleans on Tuesday and warned, "We will not rest until justice is done."

He added that the criminal probe had begun "some weeks ago."

This comes as US President Barack Obama has also threatened to take legal action against those possibly behind the country's "greatest environmental disaster of its kind."

An estimated 75 million liters of oil has poured into the Gulf of Mexico since the April 20 explosion of an oilrig operated by the energy company, British Petroleum, which led to the death of eleven workers.

So far efforts to stop the oil leak from the fractured deep-sea oil well have failed and caused further environmental fears as the hurricane season draws near.

Efforts to permanently seal the broken pipe will not bear fruit until August, experts say.
Posted by:Fred

#13  It's all about making money flow. Take from the rich, give to the poor and/or priveleged in the right proportions to accomplish political goals.

Another crisis put to use.
Posted by: gorb   2010-06-02 23:35  

#12  The rig is the sovereign territory of the Marshall Islands in international waters (the USA only recognizes a 12 mile limit for territorial waters and the rig was 40 miles offshore). So good luck prosecuting anyone for anything that happened on the rig.
Posted by: phil_b   2010-06-02 22:24  

#11  If I didn't know that the AG was a real smart guy, I'd say this was sack-o-hammers stupid.

Matt, that was absolutely delicious! Where did you find that extra-long scalpel?
Posted by: trailing wife   2010-06-02 21:59  

#10  Seems to be the typical Dem response to anything - no engineers but they'll deploy grunches of lawyers (of course, that's all they got).
Posted by: Omiting the Younger   2010-06-02 20:02  

#9  He'll be suing Americans then
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2010-06-02 16:01  

#8  BP was sued by Sarah Palin because of environmental problems when she was governor of Alaska; I suspect this was a factor in their giving large amounts of money to the Zero campaign. Now they're going to find themselves at the mercy of the guy _they funded_ who wants to use their accident to tear down the whole industry.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2010-06-02 15:16  

#7  BP gives tens of millions in campaign funding to Barry. Barry turns on BP like a rabid, snapping dog. Nothing new here, they must have surely forgotten.... it's all about Barry. Enjoy the under-bus ride BP.
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-06-02 14:46  

#6  So what's gonna happen if no law was broken? What if it was just sh*tty luck and unforeseeable circumstances? The drill rig boss died in the explosion, the BP man isn't talking, I thin bambi and his Ohio Gang will screw this up too.
Posted by: bigjim-CA   2010-06-02 14:13  

#5  So the US is gonna sue itself for all the wavers and saftey excellence awards they gave Deepwater and BP?

Just askin....
Posted by: DarthVader   2010-06-02 12:27  

#4  I'm sure the AG is a lot smarter than me, but from my little corner of the world (which happens to be about 75 miles from the spill) emphasizing the criminal probe does two things:

1- If you assume that this is an engineering problem first and foremost, the AG has just impeded the free flow of data because now everyone involved in at least the original design and drill effort has to think about whether invoking the right to remain silent is the way to go. One guy already has.

2- Most claim payments are funded by liability insurance carriers. Nearly every liability policy I've ever seen has an exclusion for criminal conduct. So: do you really want to prove that this is some sort of criminal enterpise?

If I didn't know that the AG was a real smart guy, I'd say this was sack-o-hammers stupid.
Posted by: Matt   2010-06-02 11:42  

#3  He added that the criminal probe had begun "some weeks ago."

Huh, yeah, day one right?

What do we expect when lawyers are running the show? "Action" to them means litigation. Next they'll be suing the oil well itself, suing the first named hurricane...oh, and suing Iran after they nuke somebody.
Posted by: Keeney   2010-06-02 08:45  

#2  "We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who has violated the law," Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters in New Orleans on Tuesday and warned, "We will not rest until justice is done."

Got tired about the Philly Black Panthers voter intimidation thing, Eric?
Posted by: Bobby   2010-06-02 05:57  

#1  We gotta do something to make Me look relevant and powerful...

Holder! Get out there and arrest somebody!
Posted by: The One Bobby   2010-06-02 05:55  

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