I'm surprised this hasn't caught a lot of attention:
Investigators from the United Arab Emirates have determined that a Japanese oil tanker damaged in the Straits of Hormuz last month was struck by an explosive-filled boat in an act of terrorism, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported Friday.â??A responsible source at the UAE Coast Guard said that investigations and an examination carried out by specialised teams had confirmed that the tanker had been the subject of a terrorist attack,â? WAM writes.
The report came after an al-Qaeda-linked group, the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, claimed responsibility on its website for the suicide attack, the AP reports.
Al-Qaeda hasn't had too much luck pulling off a successful attack recently, but a few more stabs at blowing up an oil tanker in Hormuz and insurance rates on shipping through the strait are going to increase, which means additional pressure on the global economy and potentially greater energy prices. Two things we don't exactly want right now.
(AP Photo)
