Coast Guard fires at "Ghost Ship" with 8000ltrs Diesel

[presence]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17630153


I'm sorry... but would it really have been that hard to let this ship float there until someone came to salvage it? It was just recently discovered and it has been floating in the ocean not bothering anyone for over a year now. At least make an effort to salvage the diesel before you sink it. Heck... just let it drift under observation... nobody even needs to tow it to shore; its headed that way at 1 mph and its only 125 miles away: it'll eventually get there. What a waste of steel. This country has more defence than it knows what to do with.

And why are we sinking it? Out of concern for maritime traffic??!!?? Hello... this is the digital age, any large commercial boat in international waters has radar. All I see is a bunch of trigger happy coast guard begging for "permission to engage".

Instead of the economy picking up salvage rights to 200 tons of steel, we get clean up rights to 2000 gallons of heavy fuel oil.

thanks!

presence