August 4, 2011 the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Regulation and Enforcement have issued a conditional approval

for the Revised Exploration Plan filed by Shell for exploration drilling in the Beaufort Sea. The approval covers four shallow water exploratory wells beginning in 20102. BOEMREs announcement indicated that the agency had found no evidence that the proposed
action would significantly affect the quality of the human environment." The agency found that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. http://www.alaska.boemre.gov/ref/ProjectHistory/2012Shell_BF/2012x.HTM

http://www.alaska.boemre.gov/ref/ProjectHistory/2012Shell_BF/2012x.HTM Suggested Reading

Shale Gas and US National Security http://www.bakerinstitute.org/publications/EF-pub-DOEShaleGas-07192011.pdf

The SEAB Shale Gas Production Subcommittee Ninety-Day Report August 11, 2011
http://www.shalegas.energy.gov/resources/081111_90_day_report.pdf

According to published reports in Italys Corriere della Sera as well as Investors Business Daily, Cuba has become a safe haven for terrorists, notably Hezbollah. Undoubtedly tasked with responsibility for supporting terrorist activities such as developing informants, targeting intelligence and gathering passports, the base could also be used as a forward base for actions against the United States. As Investors Business pointed out the location of the base also provides a relatively secure meeting location for Hezbollah to meet with the Mexican drug cartels. The Cuban dictatorship has long supported terror activities in South and Latin America. The Castros have long been champions of Hezbollah, who are well trained in the arts of terror. Having a terrorist base 90 miles off our coast is cause for great concern. Having a terrorist base operating in a safe haven within striking distance of the Panama Canal, the offshore oilfields of the Gulf, Mexico and Brazil means that even as our government believes that the threat from AQ and the Taliban are receding, new threats are expanding daily.