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Dozens more private boats were deployed Friday to search for and skim oil, and many more were on standby as their crews awaited hazardous-materials training.

The new boats bring to 158 the number primarily working the Mississippi coast, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials. There are another 220 in Alabama and 112 in Florida.

"We've actually brought in skimmers from outside the country, from Canada and the Netherlands and other places," Allen said, "and it's not only all hands on deck it's all boom and all skimmers on deck as well."

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Fred McCallister, an investment banker with Allegiance Capital Corporation, a Dallas based investment banking firm with offices in Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Madrid, Seattle and Shanghai, announced the availability of specialized vessels for skimming oil, deploying oil booms and providing housing for personnel working in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP oil spill cleanup.

Mr. McCallister states that he has contacted BP and the contractors BP uses to procure such equipment to no avail. Mr. McCallister further states that, Adm. Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander, stated on national television today the desperate need for additional skimmers in the Gulf. As an investment banker working in this area, Mr. McCallister has available 12 skimming vessels specifically designed to remove surface oil from the Gulf that are immediately available and several more that can be made available over the next few weeks.

Mr. McCallister's experience with the process to date indicates that a clear need is being stated for this type of equipment but no one is responding to the firms who can provide the equipment needed. If the need for equipment is as stated, Mr. McCallister's frustrations are that these firms designated by BP to procure equipment cannot move forward with their directives due to a lack of response from BP.

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Hippie Operative Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
signing off


To our President: “Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar. Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.... oh, go fuck yourself, Mr. President” ...Raptor

To Anthony, unquestionably the most civil person on this forum: “Go fuck yourself. On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you. ...Raptor

To Frem: “You miserable piece of shit.” ...Raptor

To Niki: “My guess is it won't just be your ugly face you dislike.....Well, it's true......if you had a soul.” ...Raptor

...Remember, remember, the ugliest member...

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Fox & Friends misleads on international aid to the Gulf spill

While discussing the Jones Act, Fox & Friends' Brian Kilmeade misleadingly referenced "our inability or decision not to use the rest of the world's offers to help us skim up the sludge." In fact, the U.S. has used cleanup equipment from other nations "and will continue to do that," according to Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen.

Fox & Friends misleadingly suggests we are not "us[ing] the rest of the world's offers to help us skim up the sludge"

Kilmeade suggests we are not "us[ing] the rest of the world's offers to help us skim up the sludge." On the June 11 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Kilmeade, during a discussion of the Jones Act -- which stipulates that all commerce transported through U.S. waters be carried by a U.S. owned and operated ship that was also built in the U.S -- claimed that "we've been unable" to clean up the oil as well as the 1991 spill in the Persian Gulf, and said, "Maybe the reason is the Jones Act and our inability or decision not to use the rest of the world's offers to help us skim up the sludge." Guest co-host Eric Bolling claimed, "So the issue is with all this additional help available and this Jones Act preventing more help to come into the Gulf."

In fact, Allen stated that "we are using" equipment from other nations for oil clean-up. In a June 10 press briefing, Allen confirmed that "we are using" foreign technology:

Q: There are many people who say that the best dredgers and skimmers in the world come from countries like the Netherlands and France and that they can't -- they're not being asked to come in because of the Jones Act. Is that the case? And why not get around that, suspend that, so you can bring that other you know technology in?

ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, first of all, those are source countries. That's correct, they're available. But we are using them. We are dealing with folks like Norway, the Netherlands, Canada and other places. Anyplace that's got skimming capability that's available, we're willing to talk to them, and we actually have, in some cases, actually transferred the equipment down and will continue to do that.

If it gets -- if it gets to the point where there's a Jones Act required, we're willing to do that, too. Nobody's come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver, but any skimming capability we can bring in, we're looking for.

Q: So are the actual boats being brought in or just the equipment?

ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, in some cases it's the skimmer itself. In some cases, the skimming equipment is organic to the vessel itself. It depends on what you're talking about. To my knowledge, what we brought in is actually skimming equipment rather than the vessels themselves, but we can give you a detailed listing.

Gibbs: "We are using equipment ... from countries like Norway, Canada, the Netherlands"; no need "thus far" for "any type of waiver." In a June 10 press briefing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs fielded a question on the administration's position in issuing waivers to the Jones Act. Gibbs stated that "there has not been any problem" with "using equipment" from foreign countries. From the briefing:

Q Senator Bill Nelson is going to write a letter to the President today asking for some clarification on the Jones Act and whether or not it is in any way inhibiting the U.S. government's use of offers from other foreign nations and foreign-flagged vessels to help in any way -- mediation, skimming, any of the other operations you're doing on the Gulf. What is the administration's position on it? The Jones Act was waived during Katrina by the Bush administration to bring oil in. What's your position on this?

MR. GIBBS: I would say this --

Q Is it an impediment or are you open to waiving it if you need to?

MR. GIBBS: No, no, as Admiral Allen said today, we are using equipment and vessels from countries like Norway, Canada, the Netherlands. There has not been any problem with this. If there is the need for any type of waiver, that would obviously be granted. But this -- we've not had that problem thus far in the Gulf.

Q But you're open to waiving it if you need to?

MR. GIBBS: If there's anything that needs to happen, that will -- we will make sure that it happens.

Fox News' Brian Wilson reported that "some foreign technology is being used in the current cleanup effort." On June 10, Fox News reporter Brian Wilson wrote on his blog that "[t]he Coast Guard and the Administration are quick to point out that some foreign technology is being used in the current cleanup effort." According to Wilson, this technology includes:

- Canada's offer of 3,000 meters of containment boom

- Three sets of COSEQ sweeping arms from the Dutch

- Mexico's offer of two skimmers and 4200 meters of boom

- Norway's offer of 8 skimming systems

On the June 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Wilson said that "17 countries have offered help, and some foreign technology has been transferred to U.S. vessels so it can be used. Still, several foreign companies with some of the most advanced oil skimming and collecting ships say they are ready to help, but their vessels cannot be used because of the law."

Fox & Friends repeatedly cropped Allen's comments to omit his discussion of foreign aid already being used

Fox & Friends aired only Allen's statement that "nobody's come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver." Fox & Friends only aired Allen's statement during a June 10 press briefing that "if it gets to the point where there's a Jones Act required, we're willing to do that, too. Nobody's come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver." But Fox & Friends did not air Allen's statement that "we are using" technology from other nations and that "[w]e are dealing with folks like Norway, the Netherlands, Canada and other places. Anyplace that's got skimming capability that's available, we're willing to talk to them, and we actually have, in some cases, actually transferred the equipment down and will continue to do that."

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Mr. McCallister's frustrations are that these firms designated by BP to procure equipment cannot move forward with their directives due to a lack of response from BP.

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More than 30 foreign vessels are working in the Gulf with foreign crews, Gordon said. The OCSLA specifies that "all units operating on the OCS must employ only U.S. citizens or lawful permanent resident aliens."

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“If there is the need for any type of waiver, that would obviously be granted,” said White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs.“But, we’ve not had that problem thus far.”

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If it gets—if it gets to the point where there's a Jones Act required, we're willing to do that, too. Nobody's come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver, but any skimming capability we can bring in, we're looking for.

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