Egypt and Dubai cruise from $41/night Oct 2, 2009
This 12-night cruise passes through the Suez Canal as it sails from Italy to Dubai, and also includes two ports of call in Egypt to boot. The Legend of the Seas embarks from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy on Oct. 23 and will spend two leisurely days en route to Alexandria, Egypt. (MSNBC -- Travel)
I Have to Tell You . . . Oct 1, 2009
"If we go to Persia and India we will go through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific then through the Mediterranean and out through the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean." ... He arrived in Egypt April 21, 1944, then traveled through the Suez Canal, to Aden, Arabia. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Australian Navy Thwarts Suspected Pirate Attack on Merchant Ship Off Yemen Sep 23, 2009
Pirate attacks early in the year focused on the Gulf of Aden, a choke point for the Suez Canal thats used by 33,000 ships a year. With naval forces patrolling a security corridor through the Gulf, pirates in March shifted their attacks farther out into the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Somalia. (Bloomberg -- Australia & New Zealand)
Malta: 'One bright flame in the darkness' Sep 20, 2009
It was a stepping stone to the Suez Canal. Its island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British fleet. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Global Warming Reopens the Northeast Passage Sep 19, 2009
Sailing from Korea to the Netherlands via the Northeast Passage could shave 3,500 miles (5,500 km) and 10 days off the traditional 12,500-mile (20,000 km) route via the Suez Canal. Other routes could offer even bigger time savings. (Time.com)
Crystal Cruises' Creative Fundraising Events Benefit Global Children's Charity Sep 15, 2009
Joining the Captain on the bridge during a Suez Canal transit. Caviar for two on the bridge as Crystal Serenity transited Glacier Bay. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
* Commercial ships navigate fabled Northeast Passage Sep 13, 2009
The Northern Sea Route trims 4,000 nautical miles (7,400km) off the journey via the Suez Canal, which Beluga has said would yield substantial savings in fuel costs and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The company got the clearance of Russian authorities to navigate the route last month. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Arctic shortcut, long a dream, beckons shippers as ice thaws Sep 12, 2009
But the Russians hope that the transit of the German ships will inaugurate the passage as a reliable shipping route, and that the combination of the melting ice and the economic benefits of the shortcut -- which trims thousands of miles off various southerly routes -- will eventually make the Arctic passage a summer competitor with the Suez Canal ... For example, the voyage from Yokohama, Japan, to Rotterdam via the Northeast Passage is about 4,450 miles shorter than the currently preferred... (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
German ships successfully make "Arctic Passage" Sep 12, 2009
The Northern Sea Route trims 4,000 nautical miles off the usual 11,000-mile journey via the Suez Canal, which Beluga has said would yield substantial savings in fuel costs and reductions in CO2 emissions. The company got Russian authorities' clearance to send the first non-Russian commercial vessels through the route in August. (Scientific American)
German ships blaze Arctic trail Sep 12, 2009
By avoiding the Suez canal, the trip from Asia to Europe is shortened by almost 5,000km (3,100 miles) ... Both the Russian authorities and the German shippers are keen to prove the safety and efficiency of the passage, believing it could be a valuable commercial alternative to the Suez canal in summer. (BBC News -- Europe)
The Architect of 9/11 Sep 11, 2009
It is only relatively recent phenomena that are responsible for the Middle East's comparative isolation todayin Aleppo's case, the opening of the Suez Canal, which cut the city out of the East-West trade and shifted wealth to the world's coastal rims. Today, it is the port of Hamburg, not the trading post of Aleppo, that is a leading center of the Oriental carpet business. (Slate)
Friendlier Arctic seas bring opportunity -- and risk Sep 6, 2009
Cargo ships typically travel between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal in Egypt. Welcome to the new age of the Arctic. (Anchorage Daily News)
South Africa: Israeli Occupation Must End - Zuma Aug 31, 2009
Johannesburg PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma told the opening of the national conference of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies on Saturday night that the only "viable" solution for the Israeli- Palestinian conflict was one that "ended the occupation that began in 1967", when Israel occupied Sinai, the Suez canal, West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. "It is a solution that fulfils the aspirations of both parties for independent homelands through two states for two peoples, Israel and an independent,... (allAfrica.com)
Captured Ukrainian crew plead for help Aug 31, 2009
More than 30,000 vessels a year transit the Gulf of Aden, heading to and from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. So far this year there have been 114 attempted attacks on merchant vessels in the region, 29 of them successful, according to the US navy. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Pirates open fire on U.S. Navy chopper Aug 28, 2009
Piracy has increased in the Gulf of Aden a crucial shipping route in and out of the Suez Canal and elsewhere off the coast of Somalia, fueling a more than doubling of pirate attacks in the first half of 2009, according to an international maritime watchdog. Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, and the country's interim government is embroiled in a struggle with Islamist extremists with suspected al-Qaida links. (MSNBC -- International)
* Terror suspects accuse police in Egypt of torture Aug 25, 2009
Authorities began arresting members of what has become known as the Hezbollah cell last year, accusing them of plotting attacks against Israeli tourists and on ships in the Suez Canal. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hezbollahs Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit accusing Iran of using Hezbollah to gain a foothold in Egypt. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Egypt 'Hezbollah cell' on trial Aug 24, 2009
The 22 defendants in court deny spying on ships in the Suez Canal and plotting attacks on holiday resorts popular with Israelis in Sinai ... The 26 men - two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians - are charged with spying for a foreign group and planning attacks against tourists and shipping in the Suez Canal. (BBC News)
Tanker Crew Has Slim Survival Hope After Fire, Collision in Malacca Strait Aug 21, 2009
About 33 percent of global seaborne crude oil moves through the 600-mile (965-kilometer) channel, making it almost six times busier than the Suez Canal. The Formosaproduct Brick, a 70,000-deadweight ton Liberian- flagged vessel, was carrying naphtha, a light oil product usually used as petrochemical feedstock, according to Bruce Blakeman, a spokesman in Singapore for charterer Cargill Inc.. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
Somali pirates free Malaysian, German ships Aug 4, 2009
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. " He gave no details of the amount of the ransom. The boat had been moved between pirate hideouts but lately had been held off Hobyo village in northern Somalia, Mwangura explained. Small villages dotting the coast of Somalia's self-declared state of Puntland are the pirates' main bases. Ecoterra said a lack of cooperation between the Malaysian and Indonesian ship owners meant the case dragged on for months. "Over long stretches the crew felt... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Iran Reaching Point of No Return in Nuclear Development Aug 3, 2009
It sent two missile-studded warships, and an attack submarine, through the Suez canal this summer the fastest route to the Persian Gulf and the Iranian coast. Egypt controls the canal, but allowed the ships to pass. (Human Events Online)
Shipping in the downturn: Sea of troubles Jul 31, 2009
To blame is a $55 billion fall in expected revenues, only partly offset by savings from lay-ups, slow steaming to conserve fuel and opting for the longer and cheaper route round the Cape of Good Hope, which avoids hefty fees for using the Suez Canal. The canal faces a drop in revenue of 14% this year. (The Economist)
BOLTON: 'No surprise' if Israel strikes Iran by year's end... Jul 30, 2009
Relations between the U.S. and Israel are more strained now than at any time since the 1956 Suez Canal crisis. Mr. Gates s message for Israel not to act on Iran, and the U.S. pressure he brought to bear, highlight the weight of Israel s lonely burden. (The Drudge Report)
Declassified Docs: Ike Struggled With Iran, Iraq In '50s Jul 30, 2009
The administration was concerned about Cold War relations with the Soviets, tensions in the Middle East over access to the Suez Canal, the possibility of Iraq turning communist and unrest in Southeast Asia. "He was a strong internationalist. Eisenhower was actively engaged in foreign policy issues," Weissenbach said. (Newsmax)
Israel wrestles with Iran problem Jul 30, 2009
That political scheme was supplemented by a show of force, as two Israeli missile-class warships and a submarine capable of launching a nuclear missile strike were reportedly permitted to sail through the Egyptian Suez Canal for the first time ... More, considering serious US attempts aimed at weakening the Syria-Iran alliance, the Suez Canal message was even more politically loaded, although its military value is yet to be determined. (Asia Times Online)
Arab Republic of Egypt -- IMF Staff Visit, Concluding Statement Jul 28, 2009
The current account will shift into a deficit of about 2 percent of GDP, driven by weaker exports, remittances, Suez canal traffic, and tourism receipts. Following the sharp reversal of portfolio flows in August-October, the financial situation has largely stabilized and, in recent months, the stock market has begun to recover ground lost in late 2008/early 2009. (IMF News)
Trusting America's New Mideast 'Defense Umbrella' Jul 28, 2009
There was widespread speculation these naval maneuvers were intended to be a warning to Iran because they crossed through the Suez Canal to quickly reinforce Israel s navy near Eilat. It s noteworthy that one of Israel s three Dolphin-class submarines passed through the Suez Canal for the first time on its way to these maneuvers. (Human Events Online)
Gates vows new sanctions if Iran balks Jul 28, 2009
But it has conducted a number of military exercises widely seen as possible preparations, including long-range air force maneuvers and recent movement of Israeli warships and submarines through the Suez Canal, the quickest route to the Persian Gulf from Israel. Last week the United States and Israel conducted a joint missile-defense test off the coast of California designed to protect against a possible Iranian strike on Israel. (MSNBC -- International)
* No option off the table on Iran: Israel Jul 28, 2009
But the country has conducted a number of military exercises widely seen as possible preparations, including long-range air force maneuvers and recent movement of Israeli warships and submarines through the Suez Canal, the quickest route to the Persian Gulf from Israel. Last week, US and Israel conducted a joint missile-defense test off the coast of California designed to protect against a possible Iranian strike on Israel. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Egypt refers 26 Hezbollah suspects to trial Jul 27, 2009
The prosecutor Mahmoud said 18 of the suspects were providing Hezbollah with information since 2005 about Suez Canal schedules, security details as well as information about tourist destinations in Sinai and their travel routes. The suspects included two working in the Suez Canal shipping industry and Egyptians living on the border with Gaza. (MSNBC -- International)
Suez Canal revenues drop by 7.2% on global crisis Jul 27, 2009
Suez Canal revenues drop by 7 ... Suez Canal revenues drop by 7 ... CAIRO: Revenues from Egypt's Suez Canal have dropped this year by 7. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Egypt officially charges 26 with spying for Hezbollah Jul 27, 2009
Mahmoud, the prosecutor, said 18 of the suspects were providing Hezbollah with information since 2005 about Suez Canal schedules, security details, tourist destinations in Sinai, and tourist travel routes. Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Eisenhower, Britain, and the Suez C... Jul 22, 2009
" The Suez Crisis helped to demonstrate that the two newly emerged superpowers the United States and Soviet Russia had eclipsed the old colonial powers. British failures during the crisis heightened the reality that imperial power was a thing of the past. At the same time, the United States was thrust into Middle East affairs, beginning the long struggle to balance Israel s right to exist against Arab concerns. John Foster Dulles and Egypt Egypt had never been fully independent until Colonel... (Suite101.com)
In Possible Iran Signal, Israeli Boats Cross Suez Jul 22, 2009
In A Possible Signal To Iran, Israeli Boats Sail Through Suez Canal En Route To Red Sea ... (AP) Two Israeli warships sailed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday, Israeli and Egyptian officials said, a move that appeared to be a new signal to Iran that Israel's reach could quickly extend to its archenemy's backyard ... The Suez Canal is a strategic waterway linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. (CBS News -- World)
Israeli Warships in Suez Canal a Signal to Iran? Jul 18, 2009
Israeli Warships in Suez Canal a Signal to Iran ... Israeli Warships in Suez Canal a Signal to Iran ... Two Israeli missile class warships have sailed through the Suez Canal. (Fox News)
Israeli warships rehearse for attack... Jul 17, 2009
Israeli and Egyptian officials said two ships had sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea ... Israel has also deployed a submarine using the Suez Canal, but it has since returned to the Mediterranean. (The Drudge Report)
Message to Iran Jul 17, 2009
Two Israeli Sa'ar Five warships have passed through the Suez Canal. Earlier this week, two Israeli Sa'ar Five class warships - the corvettes Hanit and the Eilat, two of the most sophisticated vessels in Israel's small navy - passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea ... The Suez Canal is a vital waterway for cargo and military shipping. (BBC News -- Africa)
Ridgenavyman helps commemorate Midway Jul 16, 2009
Bataan transited the Suez Canal and entered the Fifth Fleet's area of responsibility, relieving the USS Boxer Amphibious Group. The 22nd MEU performed the first ship-to-shore emergency medical evacuation from the Bataan using the new MV-22B Ospreys. (Lake Wales News, FL)
Behind the mind games in the Gulf Jul 16, 2009
It has recently been reported that an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine armed with US Harpoon missiles and capable of carrying the 480-kilometer or so range and nuclear-armed Popeye Turbo cruise missile has been allowed to transit the Suez Canal on its way to the Red Sea. As long ago as 2000 it was reported that Israeli submarines had carried out cruise missile firing tests in the Indian Ocean, possibly in cooperation with the Indian navy. (Asia Times Online)
Ship Captain and Chief Officer Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution From Cargo Ship Traveling to New Orleans Jul 16, 2009
In the summer of 2008, during a passage from the Suez Canal to China, Lekkas and Posas suspected that the aftpeak ballast tank was leaking, but the crew was unable to confirm a leak during an inspection. Later, while at a dock, offloading cargo in China, Lekkas and Posas observed an approximately 24-inch crack in the ship's rudder stem. (PR Newswire)
Ancient fortress city unearthed in Egypt Jul 15, 2009
Supreme Council of AntiquitiesThe mud brick foundation of an ancientpalace has been unearthed near the Suez Canal, Egypt's minister of culture announced ... Located at the site of Tell Dafna, between El-Manzala Lake and the Suez Canal, the remains reveal the foundation of a military town about 9 miles (15 kilometers) northeast of the city of western Qantara. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Israeli Warships Push Much Closer to Iran Jul 15, 2009
JERUSALEM -- Two Israeli warships sailed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday, Israeli and Egyptian officials said, a move that appeared to be a new signal to Iran that Israel's reach could quickly extend to its archenemy's backyard. The Suez Canal is a strategic waterway linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, the gateway to the Persian Gulf ... Two of Israel's Saar class missile boats crossed through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea, Israeli defense officials said. (Newsmax)
Israel warships pass through Suez Jul 15, 2009
Two Israeli warships have sailed through the Suez Canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, Israeli and Egyptian officials say. Israeli media described the passage of the two Saar class missile boats as a "message" to Iran. (BBC News -- Africa)
Egypt Holds 26 Over al-Qaida Plot on Suez Canal Jul 11, 2009
CAIRO Egyptian security forces have arrested 26 suspected Al-Qaeda loyalists on charges of plotting attacks on foreign ships passing through the Suez Canal, the interior ministry said on Thursday ... In April, the Egyptian public prosecutor said that 49 people had been charged with forming a Hezbollah cell suspected of planning attacks on tourist resorts and ships passing through the Suez Canal. (Newsmax)
Terrorists targeted Suez ships, pipelines Jul 10, 2009
CAIRO - Ships in the Suez Canal and oil pipelines were the targets of a terrorist plot involving Al Qaeda, Egyptian authorities said after arresting 26 suspects ... In 2007, one-tenth of global seaborne trade passed through the Suez Canal. (Boston Globe)
Netanyahu adviser raises 'MAD' nuclear scenario... Jul 10, 2009
One of the submarines sailed from the Mediterranean, via the Suez Canal, to Israel's Red Sea port of Eilat last week, in what officials called a signal to Iran of the long reach of its arsenal. Israel and its Western allies fear that Iran is enriching uranium with the aim of producing nuclear weapons. (The Drudge Report)
Egypt Arrests Militants Plotting Suez Attacks Jul 10, 2009
Egypt Arrests 25 Militants Linked To Al-Qaida Plotting To Attack Suez Canal ... (AP) Egyptian authorities arrested 25 militants with links to al-Qaida on suspicion of plotting attacks on oil pipelines and ships in the Suez Canal, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Thursday ... The group planned to use explosives rigged with mobile phone-activated detonators against shipping in the busy Suez Canal, and learned about explosives from al-Qaida militants on jihadi Web sites, said the... (CBS News -- World)
Egypt arrests 25 in 'Suez plot' Jul 10, 2009
The Suez Canal is a vital maritime transport link. Egyptian officials say 25 militants suspected of having al-Qaeda links have been arrested for plotting attacks on ships in the Suez Canal. (BBC News -- Africa)
Israel Faces Bombing Iran Alone Jul 8, 2009
President Eisenhower demanded and obtained the immediate withdrawal of Israeli, French and British forces from the Suez Canal Zone, which the three powers had invaded stealthily to secure the vital waterway recently nationalized by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The operation had undercut the Eisenhower administration's denunciation of the Soviet invasion of Hungary, where the revolution was brutally suppressed by Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces. (Newsmax)
Israel won't base submarines in Red Sea - official Jul 5, 2009
An Israeli Dolphin-class submarine took part in a drill off Eilat last week, after sailing from the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal -- the first such voyage for the secret craft and a sign of Israel's growing strategic reach, defence sources said ... The absence of an Eilat submarine base means a Gulf-bound Dolphin has to use the shallow Suez Canal or sail round Africa, taking weeks and limiting Israel's ability to signal a readiness to retaliate should it ever come under Iranian nuclear... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Al-Qaeda excluded from suspect list Jul 2, 2009
"They were moving explosives from Port Said through Suez Canal to the Red Sea and to Yemen, then infiltrating them across the border with Saudi Arabia.". A few days after receiving the bin Laden unit's four-page memo, the head of the CIA's Counter-Terrorism Center, Winston Wiley, one of the few CIA officials who was privy to information on the investigation, came to Scheuer's office and closed the door. (Asia Times Online)
Hundreds of Minis descend on Winona Jul 1, 2009
England gave birth to the Mini in 1959 after the Egyptian government blocked the Suez Canal in 1956, sparking a fuel crisis. They took four dining room chairs and drew a chalk line around them, Jenstad said. (Winona Daily News, MN)
South Africa: Country Shipping Buoyant Amid Recession Jun 29, 2009
He said the low cost of bunker fuel had motivated shipping lines to divert Europe and east-bound traffic around the Cape of Good Hope rather than using the Suez Canal. The piracy threat in the Gulf of Aden had also seen a marked increase in traffic calling in Durban for bunker fuel, he said. (allAfrica.com)
Piracy 'cannot be solved at sea' Jun 24, 2009
" Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden, off Somaila's northern coast, each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal. And Rear Adm Hudson admits he does not have the power to tell them which routes to take in order to minimise the chances of a pirate attack. "I provide advice for suitable shipping routes, through the Indian Ocean. I tell them where my warships are. (BBC News -- Europe)
Army solution Jun 23, 2009
Another attraction in nearby Heliopolis is the October Panorama, a permanent exhibition describing in epic terms how the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal in 1973 and destroyed Israeli fortifications. School trips are organised to the Panorama regularly, to instil in young Egyptians pride and love of their armed forces. (BBC News -- Africa)
Unexpected Surprises From Great Technologies Jun 20, 2009
"Throughout the building of the [rail]road, its proponents had predicted that the China-Japan-India from the East Coast of America and with Europe would pass through San Francisco and then over the transcontinental railroad to points east, or to be shipped to Europe via New York. The first through-car on the transcontinental line carried a shipment of India tea, forerunner of the future. "But trade with Asia didn't happen, certainly not to the extent that people hoped " Related Instead, the... (ABC News -- Business)
* Japan poised to expand Somalia anti-piracy mission Jun 20, 2009
Japan in March joined the US, China and other countries in the maritime operation against pirates who have attacked ships in the Gulf of Aden, a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal. Because of limits on Japans military imposed under its post-World War II pacifist Constitution, Japans two destroyers so far have no mandate to use force except in self-defense and to protect Japanese interests. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Alaska Gov. Palin in Westchester, NY, Long Island Jun 16, 2009
" Lige wrote on Jun 11, 2009 11:56 AM:" Boscoe wrote'(including our Suez Canal that we built) ... " boscoe wrote on Jun 10, 2009 3:20 PM:" Reagan fixed this country's decimated economy after Jimmy Carter gave it all away (including our Suez Canal that we built). (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Fast Facts: Egypt Jun 4, 2009
Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. (CBS News)
Obama Goes To Egypt Jun 3, 2009
Nestled below Israel and Jordan, a neighbor to Saudi Arabia and Libya, the Suez Canal at its northern tip where thirty percent of the world's oil passes every year. It receives over $1. (CBS News)
Nuclear Terrorism Multiplies World Peril May 30, 2009
For the first time since 1956, when President Eisenhower ordered Israel, France and Britain out of their occupation of the Suez Canal, U.S. and Israeli strategic interests are no longer seen as one and the same. For Israel, Jewish settlements in the West Bank have nothing to do with Iran's secret nuclear weapons program. (Newsmax)
Underwater firepower May 28, 2009
The submarine shall remain submerged when it is deemed safe and practicable for submerged navigation except in areas that it is not allowed to do so, such as when transiting the Suez Canal, he explains. Upon reaching Malaysian waters, the submarine is expected to stop at Port Klang and Lumut for a few days before continuing the journey to Kota Kinabalu. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Conferences to tackle piracy May 27, 2009
In the past year, the insurance premiums for ships passing through the Suez Canal have soared - a cost that must eventually be passed to the consumer. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Africa)
Iran Sends 6 Warships to International Waters in 'Saber Rattling' Move May 27, 2009
Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal, Reuters noted. Seven percent of world oil consumption passed through the Gulf of Aden in 2007, according to Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit. (Fox News)
Egypt: Financial Crunch Squeezes Suez May 26, 2009
At the Suez Canal, one of Egypt's fiscal mainstays, the threat of Somali piracy pales in comparison with the potential knock-on effects of the global economic depression. "We're bracing for a significant decline in canal revenues this year," Suez Canal Authority (SCA) spokesman Tarek Hussein told IPS. "And 90 percent of that decline will be directly attributable not to piracy, but to the dismal economic climate." ... Some maritime transport companies - reportedly fearing for the safety of their... (allAfrica.com)
DAVID PROVOST: Analyzing the oh-so-brilliant Europeans May 15, 2009
The move made by the British and French to take back control of the Suez Canal, a gross violation of international law, an action blocked by the quite unsophisticated Dwight Eisenhower comes to mind. More recently, the inability of the Europeans to deal with the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans (something that was stopped only by the assertion of American air power) is especially damning to the case for European brilliance in foreign policy. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
