Today's Problematic Ship that has been Listening and Learning is the FSO Safer
The FSO Safer, which we have previously written about, is a very large crude carrier converted to floating oil storage. It was moored off the coast of Yemen and held more than one million barrels of crude oil when the war in Yemen broke out.
Already old (built in 1976) and in poor condition, the FSO Safer could not be properly maintained or offloaded due to the war. Particularly worrying was the ship's inert gas system, which displaces air in its oil tanks with inert gas. This prevents built-up oil vapours from exploding, e.g., because of electrical sparks. An onboard explosion or simply the rusting into pieces of the FSO Safer could have spilled one million barrels of crude oil into the Red Sea. An oil spill would threaten not only local ecosystems, but fishing water, desalination plants, and ports supporting millions of people with food and fuel imports. (Throughout the war, Yemen has already been one of the world's most food insecure countries.)
As of August 2023 the FSO Safer has been emptied, with its oil transferred to a replacement vessel, the Yemen, in a UN-led operation. The FSO Safer will be scrapped. The Yemen will be moored in place, effectively taking the FSO Safer's place. The reason for this is the disputed ownership of the oil by the warring parties, meaning the oil cannot be sold directly. The UN has offered to mediate negotiations to arrange a sale.
La FSO Warszawa est la première voiture produite par le constructeur automobile polonais FSO. À sa naissance en 1951, elle n’était en réalité qu’une GAZ Pobieda soviétique assemblée sous licence. Sa carrière a duré jusqu’en 1973, mais elle était encore la voiture la plus répandue en Pologne au début des années
ok so i got fso and of course had to Find Him. and i have wonderful news. not only does he look like a fucking sorcerer in fso he literally is just that. he casts spells. thats his fucking staff in his hand. dima the fog wizard.
i was lucky enough to mostly have really good professors while i was getting my international studies degree so most of the time kissinger was discussed it was in the context of "look at all the atrocities this motherfucker has orchestrated" but i did take one class with our state dept diplomat in residence for that year and he assigned one of his books as reading and then was not fully prepared when most of the class proceeded to tear it to shreds in discussion