FSO Safer: A ticking time bomb for Yemen,‘a bargaining tool’ for Houthis

FSO Safer tanker moored off Ras Issa port, in Yemen, June 17, 2020. (AP)
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Updated 28 March 2021
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FSO Safer: A ticking time bomb for Yemen,‘a bargaining tool’ for Houthis

  • Experts estimate a major leak could severely damage Red Sea ecosystems, upon which some 30 million people depend
  • To avoid catastrophic oil spill, UN officials want Iran-backed militia to allow access to stricken vessel

NEW YORK CITY: It is an impending disaster that looms large over any talk of peace in Yemen, humanitarian efforts and ecological concerns.

The Safer oil tanker has been moored in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, near the Ras Isa oil terminal, for more than five years.

The vessel is a floating storage and offloading (FSO) terminal that was used as an offshore platform for ships loading crude oil from the Marib-Ras Isa pipeline.

It is owned by Yemen’s national oil company, the Safer Exploration & Production Operation Company, but fell into the hands of the Houthis in 2015, early in the Yemeni civil war. Since then, no maintenance work has been carried out on the aging tanker.

When Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced on March 22 a new initiative to bring peace to Yemen, Arab News asked him what could be done to defuse this ticking time bomb.

“We are extremely concerned about the Houthis continuing to put up obstacles to the UN doing what it needs to do to safeguard this oil tanker that threatens a true ecological disaster of unprecedented scale in the Red Sea,” Prince Faisal replied.

 

“It is something that is extremely concerning. It’s very, very disheartening that the Houthis are using the environment and the livelihoods of hundreds, if not thousands, of fishermen as a bargaining tool.

 

“And, therefore, we call on the international community to do all it can to ensure that this situation is addressed forthwith, (so) that this issue is not used by the Houthis to blackmail the international community.”




This image provided by I.R. Consilium taken in 2019, shows the external piping system of the FSO Safer and the hose failure that led to a spill, moored off Ras Issa port, Yemen. (AFP/File Photo)

FSO Safer’s structure, equipment and operating systems are deteriorating, leaving the tanker at risk of springing a leak, exploding or catching fire.

With 48 million gallons of oil on board, the UN warns a potential leak would be four times bigger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off the coast of Alaska, considered the world’s worst oil spill in terms of environmental damage.

Experts estimate a major leak could severely damage Red Sea ecosystems, upon which some 30 million people depend, including 1.6 million Yemenis, according to the UN.

 

A spill would devastate fisheries along Yemen’s west coast and destroy the livelihoods of fishing communities, many of which are already dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. If a fire occurs, more than 8.4 million people could be exposed to toxic pollutants.

 

Most concerning of all for the UN, however, is that an oil spill would lead to the closure of Hodeidah port, which would cause food and fuel prices to soar and lead to a blockage of humanitarian aid to millions of Yemenis.

This is at a time when Yemen faces the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster and stands on the brink of famine.




This handout satellite image obtained courtesy of Maxar Technologies on July 19, 2020 shows an overview of the FSO Safer oil tanker on June 19, 2020 off the port of Ras Isa. (AFP/File Photo)

A potential spill could also disrupt commercial shipping routes on the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways that accounts for 10 percent of global trade. It could also adversely impact littoral countries including Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Eritrea.

Since 2019, the UN has been lobbying to deploy a team of experts to assess the condition of the tanker and conduct initial repairs. The first mission, which was deployed to Djibouti in August that year, was cancelled at the last minute when the Houthis abruptly withdrew their consent.

Negotiations about another mission have been going on ever since between the UN and the Houthis. These talks increased in urgency in May 2020 when seawater was reported in the Safer’s engine room.

Even though it was a relatively small leak, it took divers more than five days to contain it. The UN says it is unclear how long the patch will hold.

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, and the Security Council have pleaded with the Houthis to allow access to the tanker for assessment and repairs.

“It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse (situation),” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, after a new list of Houthi demands relating to “logistics and security arrangements” caused fresh delays last month.

“We hope that these discussions conclude quickly so we can move forward with booking the mission’s vessels.




This image provided by I.R. Consilium taken in 2019, shows the deck of the FSO Safer, indicating the lack of basic maintenance for several years, leading to incidental smaller spills, moored off Ras Issa port, Yemen. (AFP/File Photo)

“The environmental and humanitarian disaster that is waiting to happen in case of an oil spill is entirely avoidable. We are doing everything possible to deploy this mission at the earliest possible opportunity as an important step toward averting this catastrophe.

“We understand that many member states, including donors to the project, are extremely concerned by these new delays.  We of course share those concerns.”

Referring to the Houthis’ demands, Dujarric said: “We are working as diligently as possible on a field where sometimes the goalposts seem to shift.

“By the grace of God, there has not been a major leak. The more we wait, the chances of a major leak are increasing. Time is not on anyone’s side.

“The mission will give us the assessment we need to formulate a permanent solution. It is already two years late and cannot not be stalled any longer.

“This is not a matter of just sending UN staff to an area. This is having to procure highly specific and technical equipment, and getting people with very, very pointed experience who are able and willing, from a private sector company, to go on this first assessment mission.”

Asked whether enforcement action might be appropriate under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter — which provides a framework for the Security Council to act in response to threats to peace and acts of aggression, or to prevent the aggravation of a situation — Dujarric said this would be for member states to decide.




This image provided by I.R. Consilium taken in 2019, shows the internal decay of inside the FSO Safer and the lack of a functioning cathodic protection system, moored off Ras Issa port, Yemen. (AFP/File Photo)

The international community has made its stance clear. At the latest Security Council meeting on Yemen on March 16, the 15-member body spoke in unison against Houthi stalling.

“The Houthis are now threatening irreversible catastrophe delaying the UN’s assessment and initial repair of the Safer oil tanker. It is well past time for the Houthis to quit stalling,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN.

Her UK counterpart, Barbara Woodward, said: “The Houthis must urgently implement the multiple Security Council calls for them to facilitate the UN assessment and repair mission.”

Ireland’s top UN envoy Geraldine Byrne Nason said: “We have seen previous explosions and oil spills in recent memory cause tremendous devastation and lasting impact” — a reference that included the devastation caused by the Beirut port blast in August 2020.

“For the Houthis to allow this catastrophe to unfold, when help is being offered, would be simply unforgivable.”

In the meantime, UN talks with the Houthis to resolve “logistical and security” arrangements are continuing, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN chief.

“We hope these discussions will come to a conclusion soon so we can get a timeline for deployment.

“There is also a technical meeting with the government of Yemen to brief them on the efforts to deploy the mission at the earliest opportunity.”

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Twitter: @EphremKossaify


15 Turkish-backed fighters killed in north Syria clashes with Kurdish-led forces

Updated 55 min 41 sec ago
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15 Turkish-backed fighters killed in north Syria clashes with Kurdish-led forces

  • SDF fighters “infiltrated positions of the Turkish-backed” troops in the Aleppo countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said
  • The SDF is a US-backed force that spearheaded the fighting against the Daesh group in its last Syria strongholds before its territorial defeat in 2019

BEIRUT: At least 15 Ankara-backed Syrian fighters were killed Sunday after Kurdish-led forces infiltrated their territory in the country’s north, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said.
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who controls swathes of the country’s northeast, “infiltrated positions of the Turkish-backed” fighters in the Aleppo countryside, said the Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria.
“The two sides engaged in violent clashes” that killed 15 of the Ankara-backed fighters, the monitor said.
An AFP correspondent in Syria’s north said the clashes had taken place near the city of Al-Bab, where authorities said schools would be suspended on Monday due to the violence.
The SDF is a US-backed force that spearheaded the fighting against the Daesh group in its last Syria strongholds before its territorial defeat in 2019.
It is dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), viewed by Ankara as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which claimed the attack on Ankara.
Turkish troops and allied rebel factions control swathes of northern Syria following successive cross-border offensives since 2016, most of them targeting the SDF.


Israel moving towards a ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Axios reports

Updated 25 November 2024
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Israel moving towards a ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Axios reports

BEIRUT: Israel is moving towards a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon with the Hezbollah militant group, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X on Sunday, citing a senior Israeli official.
A separate report from Israel's public broadcaster Kan, citing an Israeli official, said there was no green light given on an agreement in Lebanon, with issues still yet to be resolved.

 


Russian plane catches fire after landing in Turkiye but passengers and crew are safely evacuated

Updated 35 min 26 sec ago
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Russian plane catches fire after landing in Turkiye but passengers and crew are safely evacuated

  • “Eighty nine passengers and six crew members on board were safely evacuated at 9:43 p.m. (1843 GMT) and there were no injuries”

ANKARA, Turkiye: The engine of a Russian plane with 95 people on board caught fire after landing at Antalya airport in southern Turkiye on Sunday, Turkiye’s transportation ministry said. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 type aircraft run by Azimuth Airlines had taken off from Sochi and was carrying 89 passengers and six crew members, the ministry said in a statement.
The pilot made an emergency call after the aircraft landed at 9:34 p.m. local time, and airport rescue and firefighting crews quickly extinguished the fire, according to the statement.
No one was hurt, the statement said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
A video of the incident posted by the aviation news website, Airport Haber, showed flames coming out from the left side of the plane as emergency crews doused the aircraft. Passengers were seen evacuating the plane through an emergency slide, some carrying belongings.
The transportation ministry said efforts were underway to remove the aircraft from the runway. Arrivals at the airport were temporarily suspended while departures were taking place from a military-run runway.

 


War-hit Lebanon suspends in-person classes in Beirut area til end of December

Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, seen from Baabda.
Updated 25 November 2024
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War-hit Lebanon suspends in-person classes in Beirut area til end of December

  • Education minister announced “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut
  • Suspension of in-person teaching also applies to parts of neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday

BEIRUT: Lebanon has suspended in-person classes in the Beirut area until the end of December, the education ministry announced Sunday, citing safety concerns after a series of Israeli air strikes this week.
Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced in a statement “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut and parts of the neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday “for the safety of students, educational institutions and parents, in light of the current dangerous conditions.”
Earlier on Sunday, Lebanese state media reported two Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, about an hour after the Israeli military posted evacuation calls online for parts of the Hezbollah bastion.
“Israeli warplanes launched two violent strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in the Kafaat area,” the official National News Agency said.
The southern Beirut area has been repeatedly struck since September 23 when Israel intensified its air campaign also targeting Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon’s east and south. It later sent in ground troops to southern Lebanon.


Legal threats close in on Israel’s Netanyahu, could impact ongoing wars   

Updated 24 November 2024
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Legal threats close in on Israel’s Netanyahu, could impact ongoing wars   

  • The trial opened in 2020 and Netanyahu is finally scheduled to take the stand next month after the court rejected his latest request to delay testimony on the grounds that he had been too busy overseeing the war to prepare his defense

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces legal perils at home and abroad that point to a turbulent future for the Israeli leader and could influence the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, analysts and officials say. The International Criminal Court (ICC) stunned Israel on Thursday by issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the 13-month-old Gaza conflict. The bombshell came less than two weeks before Netanyahu is due to testify in a corruption trial that has dogged him for years and could end his political career if he is found guilty. He has denied any wrongdoing. While the domestic bribery trial has polarized public opinion, the prime minister has received widespread support from across the political spectrum following the ICC move, giving him a boost in troubled times.
Netanyahu has denounced the court’s decision as antisemitic and denied charges that he and Gallant targeted Gazan civilians and deliberately starved them.
“Israelis get really annoyed if they think the world is against them and rally around their leader, even if he has faced a lot of criticism,” said Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“So anyone expecting that the ICC ruling will end this government, and what they see as a flawed (war) policy, is going to get the opposite,” he added.
A senior diplomat said one initial consequence was that Israel might be less likely to reach a rapid ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon or secure a deal to bring back hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
“This terrible decision has ... badly harmed the chances of a deal in Lebanon and future negotiations on the issue of the hostages,” said Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York.
“Terrible damage has been done because these organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas ... have received backing from the ICC and thus they are likely to make the price higher because they have the support of the ICC,” he told Reuters.
While Hamas welcomed the ICC decision, there has been no indication that either it or Hezbollah see this as a chance to put pressure on Israel, which has inflicted huge losses on both groups over the past year, as well as on civilian populations.

IN THE DOCK The ICC warrants highlight the disconnect between the way the war is viewed here and how it is seen by many abroad, with Israelis focused on their own losses and convinced the nation’s army has sought to minimize civilian casualties.
Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, said the ICC move would likely harden resolve and give the war cabinet license to hit Gaza and Lebanon harder still.
“There’s a strong strand of Israeli feeling that runs deep, which says ‘if we’re being condemned for what we are doing, we might just as well go full gas’,” he told Reuters.
While Netanyahu has received wide support at home over the ICC action, the same is not true of the domestic graft case, where he is accused of bribery, breach of trust and fraud.
The trial opened in 2020 and Netanyahu is finally scheduled to take the stand next month after the court rejected his latest request to delay testimony on the grounds that he had been too busy overseeing the war to prepare his defense.
He was due to give evidence last year but the date was put back because of the war. His critics have accused him of prolonging the Gaza conflict to delay judgment day and remain in power, which he denies. Always a divisive figure in Israel, public trust in Netanyahu fell sharply in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel that caught his government off guard, cost around 1,200 lives.
Israel’s subsequent campaign has killed more than 44,000 people and displaced nearly all Gaza’s population at least once, triggering a humanitarian catastrophe, according to Gaza officials.
The prime minister has refused advice from the state attorney general to set up an independent commission into what went wrong and Israel’s subsequent conduct of the war.
He is instead looking to establish an inquiry made up only of politicians, which critics say would not provide the sort of accountability demanded by the ICC.
Popular Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said the failure to order an independent investigation had prodded the ICC into action. “Netanyahu preferred to take the risk of arrest warrants, just as long as he did not have to form such a commission,” it wrote on Friday.

ARREST THREAT The prime minister faces a difficult future living under the shadow of an ICC warrant, joining the ranks of only a few leaders to have suffered similar humiliation, including Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi and Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic.
It also means he risks arrest if he travels to any of the court’s 124 signatory states, including most of Europe.
One place he can safely visit is the United States, which is not a member of the ICC, and Israeli leaders hope US President-elect Donald Trump will bring pressure to bear by imposing sanctions on ICC officials.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s nominee for national security adviser, has already promised tough action: “You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January,” he wrote on X on Friday. In the meantime, Israeli officials are talking to their counterparts in Western capitals, urging them to ignore the arrest warrants, as Hungary has already promised to do.
However, the charges are not going to disappear soon, if at all, meaning fellow leaders will be increasingly reluctant to have relations with Netanyahu, said Yuval Shany, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute.
“In a very direct sense, there is going to be more isolation for the Israeli state going forward,” he told Reuters.