25/06/2010 A new kind of war seems to loom in the horizon: the gas war…
While the war of freedom flotillas remains at the top of the headlines as the Israeli enemy is seeking to prevent Lebanese flotillas seeking to break the inhumane siege of Gaza of setting sail, the gas war seems to be, without doubt, the "upcoming war" in the region…
This war finally saw light with Israeli threatening to use force to safeguard what it called its natural gas fields. In this context, Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau warned that his entity will not hesitate to use force to protect its natural gas fields from being claimed by Lebanon.
Israel would "not hesitate to use our force and strength to protect not only the rule of law but the international maritime law," Landau told Bloomberg News. "Whatever we find, they will have something to say. That's because they're not challenging our findings and so-called occupation of the sea," he said. "For them, our very existence here is a matter of occupation. These areas are within the economic waters of Israel."
In Lebanon, Speaker Nabih Berri said that the best response to the Israeli threat is to speed up adoption of the oil exploration draft law. He wondered why the proposal would meet opposition given that he was attempting to guarantee the best way to pay off Lebanon's debts.
Earlier this month, Berri urged the Lebanese government to start exploring its offshore natural gas reserves, claiming that otherwise Israel would claim the resources. "Lebanon must take immediate action to defend its financial, political, economic and sovereign rights," Berri, who has submitted a bill to launch exploration of potential offshore reserves, said. "Exploring our options in this field is our best bet to pay off Lebanon's debts," he told reporters. "Israel is racing to make the situation a fait accompli and was quick to present itself as an oil emirate - ignoring the fact that, according to the maps, the deposit extends into Lebanese waters," Berri said.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah official in the South Sheikh Nabil Qaouq stressed Friday Lebanon's right to every drop of petroleum off its shores. "It's the Lebanese' duty to defend this right because it is a defense of Lebanon's sovereignty," Sheikh Qaouq said. "A delay in approving a law on investing in Lebanon's petroleum serves Israeli goals, which the United States is trying to fulfill through Lebanon," he added.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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