Free Republic

A state-owned Chinese bank that had agreed to finance the Pakistani section of a gas pipeline from Iran that is opposed by the United States is no longer interested in the project, a Pakistani finance ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

"Navy foils attack in waters near Gaza" SNIPPET: "As Gaza flotillas make headlines, Palestinian cell wearing diving suits attempts to launch attack from sea. IDF force spots cell members in waters of Nahal Aza area, opens fire. Al-Aqsa Brigades say four people killed, one missing. Shortly afterwards, IAF attacks rocket launching cell attacked in northern Gaza; one gunmen moderately hurt SNIPPET: "As the Gaza-bound flotillas continue to make headlines, the Israeli Navy thwarted an attack from the sea early Monday. According to the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit, a Navy force spotted a cell in the waters of the Nahal...

When it comes to energy, first and foremost in importance is; our national security. And what I mean by national security is; the energy security of the United States as a whole. You have heard the urgent call to “drill baby drill” with our need to become less dependent on foreign countries for our energy needs. And while it may seem that Alaska has moved ahead on finally achieving a plan to build a natural gas pipeline to the lower 48, foreign countries like Russia are moving in on the U.S. market and they are taking a big chunk of...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-41 Governor Transmits Two Bills on In-State Gas February 27, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today transmitted two pieces of legislation to the House and Senate rules committees as part of an action plan to jump start an in-state natural gas pipeline. The Action Plan on In-State Gas will be laid out more completely on Tuesday, March 3. It will include an evaluation of options for routes, gas resources, and potential industrial and residential users. A specific timetable will be established to begin work on right-of-way and permitting, as well as preliminary engineering and...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday called Alaska's proposed natural gas pipeline "promising" as a national energy resource, and pledged to discuss it with Canadian leaders during his Feb. 19 trip to Ottawa. "It's a project of great potential and something I'm very interested in," Obama said Wednesday during an interview in the White House with the Anchorage Daily News and 15 other regional newspapers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-25 Governor Congratulates TransCanada on FERC Order February 9, 2009, Juneau, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin today congratulated TransCanada Corporation for receiving an order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that represents another successful step on the path toward construction of a natural gas pipeline under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA). On December 15, 2008, TransCanada's subsidiary, the Alaskan Northwest Natural Gas Transportation Company (ANNGTC), informed FERC it was surrendering the conditional certificate issued to it in 1977. On February 6, 2009, FERC issued an order recognizing the surrender of the certificate and terminating...

Former CSIS strategist David Harris says a weekend explosion near the town of Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. fits the description of terrorism, despite police statements to the contrary. Sometime overnight Saturday, someone detonated a large explosion next to the sour gas pipeline about 50 kilometres from the B.C.-Alberta border. The blast did not rupture the pipeline but blew a 1.8-metre crater in the ground, which was discovered by a hunter on Sunday. "How on earth anyone could declare this was not terrorism at this early stage is beyond me. Terrorism is associated with an attempt by threat or actual...

Attacks on nuclear power stations, oil and gas terminals, Canary Wharf and Heathrow’s control tower were being considered by leaders of the plot to blow up seven transatlantic airliners in mid-flight, a court was told yesterday. Documents found on computer memory sticks at the home of an alleged terrorist ringleader contained a list of targets across Britain – including the gas pipeline between Britain and Belgium. The man, Assad Sarwar, was said to be in contact with terrorist leaders overseas and visited Pakistan a month before his arrest as preparations for the airline attacks were being finalised. Peter Wright, QC,...

Former Gov. Frank Murkowski wants to be a player again in the high-stakes game of building a pipeline to tap North Slope's natural gas. Murkowski has re-emerged after a year out of office and the public eye. When he was the state's chief executive, he couldn't garner enough legislative support for a deal with Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and BP that he hoped would eventually lead to a pipeline. Now, Murkowski says he's planning to meet with oil companies in an unspecified role as the Legislature moves forward on Gov. Sarah Palin's gas line plan - a rewrite of Murkowski's...

New Delhi, May 9: India has told the United States to keep its hands off the issue of Iran gas pipeline and declared that it will take a decision in the matter in accordance with its energy needs and national interest. This assurance was given in Parliament on Tuesday by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora. He said India would not be cowed down by the threat of the US or any other country in pursuing its energy policy. Deora said the US Energy Secretary was recently in India and the Government told him that it was none...

Polish president Lech Kaczynski has said it is too early for the creation of an EU foreign minister post, following calls from Paris for a strengthened role for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Mr Kaczynski made his remarks in an interview with German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ahead of a two-day first visit to Berlin on Wednesday and Thursday (8-9 March). It is "too early for a European foreign minister," the Polish leader said, adding that the time is not ripe for the creation of a European diplomatic service either. The Polish stance comes amid French calls for quicker...

U.S. House committees approve legislation to open ANWR to oil and gas drilling; speed Alaska gas pipeline construction by limiting loan guarantee Rose Ragsdale Petroleum News Contributing Writer Proposals to open Alaska’s arctic coastal plain to oil and gas drilling and to place a two-year sunset on federal loan guarantees for the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline are part of new energy packages adopted Sept. 28 by U.S. House committees on Resources and Energy and Commerce. Congress is revisiting various energy proposals in response to the havoc wreaked by recent hurricanes on the nation’s energy supplies. With crude oil prices expected...

Alaska's environmental organizations, for the most part, say they support building a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope. One statewide coalition is even eager for construction to begin. "We are very anxious to see the natural gas pipeline built," said Tom Atkinson, executive director of the Alaska Conservation Alliance, a coalition of about 35 conservation organizations and 10 businesses across Alaska. ACA members include Trustees for Alaska, Denali Citizens Council and Tongass Conservation Society. "It's long overdue. It's a citizen resource that the citizens are not receiving the benefit of it yet," he said. "Nothing is ever black and...