The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
April 1, 2013

Philippines Seeks Compensation for U.S. Ship's Damage to Coral Reef 
--------------------------------------------------------------------


 
The Philippines government is calling on the United States for
compensation following the removal of a naval ship that was stuck on a
pristine coral reef for 10 weeks. The U.S.S. Guardian was stranded in
the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park after its commanders ignored warnings
from park rangers. The reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At least
4,000 square meters have been damaged. The ship's last pieces were
finally removed on Saturday. In addition to the calls for compensation,
the incident has also sparked debate over the U.S. military presence in
the Philippines.

 

.