French to Recall Asbestos Ship
Article Added February 15th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story
After France’s highest court blocked the transfer of the Clemenceau, French president Chirac may orded the ship back home. The asbestos-lined ship will not be demolished in Indian ship yards.
Environmentalist that fought tooth and nail to keep the ship from being sent to India may see the proposed climb down as a victory. Those how raised objections to the ship being broken down in Indian ship yards claimed that the French government has been embarrassed by the Clemenceau ordeal, which has taken the ship two years and around the world in search of a final home. The debate also threatened to over shadow the French presidents impending visit to India, a political move that could have been dangerous to both parties involved. The ship may formally be repatriated by the end of today.
The decommissioned warship has been anchored in the Indian Ocean for almost a month, waiting for the go ahead from India’s Supreme Court to float into a ship yard to be disassembled. The transfer was suspended early Wednesday due to a fast-track ruling from France’s State Council as a response to objections from Greenpeace and other anti-asbestos groups. The case will go back to a Paris administrative court for a detailed legal ruling, making the decision in as much as six months.
Article Added February 15th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story
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