US Could Use Navy for ‘Blockade’ (an Act of War) to Hamper Russian Energy Exports – Interior Secretary

• Soon, you will need Pentagon’s permission before you are allowed to fart.
• US Could Use Navy for ‘Blockade’ (an Act of War) to Hamper Russian Energy Exports – Interior Secretary
  by https://www.rt.com/
  US could use its Navy to prevent Russia’s potential energy supplies to the Middle East, Internal Secretary Ryan Zinke said, Washington Examiner reports. The blockade would actually mean an “act of war,” Russian Senator fired back.
  –
  Zinke alleged that Russia’s engagement in Syria – notably, where it is operating at the invitation of the legitimate government – is a pretext to explore new energy markets.
  –
  “I believe the reason they are in the Middle East is they want to broker energy just like they do in eastern Europe, the southern belly of Europe,” he has reportedly said.
  –
  And, according to to the official, there are ways and means to tackle it.
  –
  “The United States has that ability, with our Navy, to make sure the sea lanes are open, and, if necessary, to blockade … to make sure that their energy does not go to market,” he said.
  –
  Zinke was addressing the attendees of the event hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance, a non-profit group which styles itself as the “voice of the energy consumer” in the US. He went to compare Washington’s approaches to dealing with Russia and Iran, noting that they are effectively the same. 
  –
  “The economic option on Iran and Russia is, more or less, leveraging and replacing fuels,” he said, while referring to Russia as a “one trick pony” with an economy dependent on fossil fuels.
  –
  Zinke’s statements provoked an angry response from Moscow, which equated a potential maritime blockade to an “act of war,” while calling the internal secretary’s assumptions “nonsense.”
  –
  “A US blockade of Russia would be equal to a declaration of war under international law,”Russian Senator Aleksey Pushkov said, commenting on Zinke’s words. Russia does not currently export any energy to the Middle East, which itself is a major oil exporting region. The whole idea is an “absolute nonsense,” the Senator argued.
  –
  read more.

end