US military spying on Greenpeace anti-whaling?

"Greenpeace has laughed off claims by a Japanese whaling organisation that the US Navy is spying on its protest ships in the Southern Ocean.

"The claim is contained in the latest bulletin from the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research (JICR), the group conducting the whaling.

"It claims the information is being gathered for the US Civil Marine Analysis Department's worldwide report on piracy.

"The JICR is hunting whales in Antarctic waters in the name of research but Greenpeace is harassing the fleet.

"The JICR says US naval intelligence is monitoring Greenpeace by satellite for evidence of piracy.

"Greenpeace chief executive Steve Shallhorn says US naval intelligence has got better things to do than watch a whaling protest.

"'I think that the whalers in Japan are delusional in thinking that the US Navy's going to help them, especially when their own Navy is not doing anything to assist them,' he said.

"The claim has angered Greens leader Senator Bob Brown.

"'I am writing to the US Embassy to ask for an explanation. I mean the Japanese are the pirates down there,' he said.

"'It's illegal, they are eco-criminals and it's the Japanese whaling fleet that needs to be monitored under the piracy program.'"
ABC

Tagged: greenpeace, environment, activism, military