Exact Location of Hijacked Oil Tanker Unclear
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Somali sources say pirates took Saudi oil tanker near fishing village of Eyl but US Navy sources say it will be anchored near Haradhere in central Somalia
Conflicting reports have emerged as to where Somali pirates, who seized a giant oil tanker more than 800 kilometers off the coast of Kenya on Monday, have taken the vessel. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, the hijacking of the supertanker was unprecedented in terms of the pirates' reach and in the choice of vessel.Undated picture of 'Sirius Star' tanker conducting trial run in South Korea VOA sources in Somalia say the Saudi-owned Sirius Star, carrying two million barrels of crude worth $100 million, is to be anchored near Eyl, a remote fishing village in the northern Puntland region. Eyl has long been the base of operations for a group of pirates, who have carried out dozens of attacks on ships this year in the Gulf of Aden and along Somalia's eastern coast. Pirates in Eyl and the factional leaders and businessmen who control them are holding nearly a dozen ships and their crew and are believed to have earned tens-of-millions of dollars in ransom payments. The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain says it has information that the supertanker is to be anchored off another haven for pirates near Haradhere in central Somalia. The head of the East African Seafarers' Association in Mombasa, Kenya, Andrew Mwangura, says negotiations for the release of the $140 million oil tanker and its multinational crew of 25 have begun. He says he expects the pirates to demand a far higher ransom for the release of the vessel than the $1 million and $2 million the pirates have previously demanded from ship owners. "We are informed that they are already in touch with the ship owner but we do not know who far they [negotiations] have gone," he said.According to Mwangura and other maritime officials, the enormous weight of the cargo would have limited the 330-meter supertanker to a top speed about 14 knots - slow enough for armed pirates in fast attack boats to come alongside. British maritime journalist David Hughes says although the newly-built Sirius Star sits higher in the water than older tankers, it would not have been difficult for experienced gunmen to board her."The modern one is higher than an old one. We are talking 10 to 15 meters. Not easy. Still, you could get a ladder up," Hughes noted.The hijacking of the vessel, the largest ever taken by pirates, took place despite the presence of warships recently deployed by the United States, the NATO alliance and the European Union to protect one of the world's busiest shipping areas.Many of the warships have been conducting their patrols in the narrow shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden, where the number of successful piracy attacks on merchant ships have dropped significantly in the past month.But Monday's attack occurred 830 kilometers off the coast of Kenya in wide open waters that navies cannot adequately cover. The United States' top military officer, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen told reporters that he was stunned by the pirates' ability to operate so far from shore.Journalist David Hughes says the attack signals a potential catastrophe for the global maritime industry. "It means that nowhere from somewhere down the middle of the Indian Ocean and westward is safe," he said. "And that means you essentially cannot have normal merchant shipping in that huge area." The U.S. Navy has not said whether it is considering taking military actions to rescue the tanker.
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US Automakers to Ask Congress for Help
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But the Bush administration says it would be a mistake to make the money available to manufacturers without requiring them to restructure and become more competitive
Members of Congress have returned to Capitol Hill for a post-election session to consider new measures to help the faltering U.S. economy, including the automobile industry, which has faced plummeting sales, plant closings and thousands of job losses. President Bush and Republican lawmakers say they can not support a Democratic Party plan to help America's struggling auto industry, which has suffered from rising fuel costs and the shrinking economy. The Democrats are backing a plan to use $25 billion from the economic rescue plan to help U.S. automakers. But the Bush administration says it would be a mistake to make the money available to the car manufacturers without requiring them to restructure and become more competitive. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.Democratic congressional leaders would like to use $25 billion of the $700-billion financial rescue package passed last month to help the ailing automobile industry.Senators Harry Reid (l), and Chuck Schumer (file photo)Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a Nevada Democrat:"We are seeing a potential meltdown in the auto industry, with consequences that could impact directly on millions of American workers, and cause further devastation to our economy," said Senator Reid.But congressional Republicans and the Bush administration oppose using part of the financial rescue package to help automakers. They argue the money was never intended for the auto industry, but to help struggling financial institutions. Some Republicans say bailing out automakers would only reward those companies for mismanagement.Senator Chris Bond is a Missouri Republican:"I do not support a blank check from the government [to the auto industry]," said Senator Bond. "I want to make sure we are not throwing good money after bad."Republicans, including the Bush administration, believe that any help for automakers should come from a $25-billion loan program approved by Congress in September to help the industry develop more fuel-efficient cars.At least one Democrat, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, agrees."It is this senator's judgment that there should be no bailout of the American automobile industry," said Senator Nelson. "There should not be a reward for poor management. But because of the American jobs at risk, because of American manufacturing at risk, I support a federal loan with serious restrictions.GM Auto plant in Janesville, WisconsinProposed aid for the auto industry is expected to be the focus of a Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday, when the top executives of the big three U.S. automakers - Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors - are to testify.The issue was also on the agenda at a closed-door meeting between House Democrats and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Monday. Aid for automakers is expected to be part of a broad economic aid plan to come before the Senate this week. But prospects for passage of the plan, which would include billions of dollars for road and bridge rebuilding, appear dim. Senate aides predict the most that will be approved by lawmakers is an extension of unemployment benefits.President-elect Barack Obama, who formally resigned his Senate seat Sunday, has said, if a sweeping economic aid plan is not passed by Congress now, it would be at the top of his agenda after he takes office in January.
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US Commits to Iraq Withdrawal by 2011, But Could Seek Extension
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US officials say agreement could be renegotiated in future, depending on security conditions
U.S. officials say the agreement to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq in three years, signed in Baghdad Monday, is a firm commitment. But they say it could be renegotiated in the future, depending on security conditions. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, 22 Oct 2008At a news conference Monday, the top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, responded "yes" when asked whether the agreement signed in Baghdad earlier in the day requires all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, regardless of the security conditions. But he also called the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, "adequate for what we need now." "Three years is a long time," said Admiral Mullen. "Conditions could change in that period of time. And, if we get to a point where this SOFA is agreed to, and have a relationship with the government of Iraq tied to it, that we will continue to have discussions with them over time, as conditions continue to evolve."At the White House, Press Secretary Dana Perino also hedged on the withdrawal date, sticking to the label "aspirational" that she and other officials have used in the past."When you work with a partner on a negotiation, you have to concede some points," said Dana Perino. "One of the points that we conceded was that we would establish these aspirational dates."U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, left, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, right, shake hands after signing ceremony for security pact in Baghdad, 17 Nov 2008Speaking from Baghdad shortly after signing the agreement with U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told VOA's Kurdish Service it is too soon to say whether any extension of the American military presence beyond 2011 might be negotiated. He also said he expects Iraq's parliament to approve the agreement within 10 days. It will replace a U.N. Security Council mandate that expires at the end of the year.The U.S. decision to agree to a firm withdrawal date is a distinct change from previous policy. Senior military officers and Bush Administration civilian officials have always said troop reductions should be based only on security conditions and should not be bound by timetables. Admiral Mullen indicated Monday that current conditions and trends in the insurgency and in the competence of Iraqi security forces give him hope that the new timetable and the security conditions will not be in conflict by the time the last U.S. soldier is scheduled to leave Iraq."Conditions continue to improve in a way where we are allowed to withdraw forces, and we've done that very specifically," he said. "And, as I've said for a significant period of time, I am hopeful that conditions will continue to improve, so we can continue to do that."Admiral Mullen said a full withdrawal of the approximately 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, along with their equipment, would in any case take two to three years. He also said the agreement's requirement for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraqi cities by the middle of next year is possible, but it will be "a big challenge" to securely remove U.S. troops from Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul by then. The top U.S. military officer said he is "comfortable" that the agreement provides "adequate...authorities and protections" for U.S. troops to do their jobs. Reports from Baghdad say the agreement increases Iraqi authority over coalition military operations and allows for the prosecution of U.S. troops in Iraqi courts in extreme cases.Asked whether the United States could withdraw its troops from Iraq even more quickly than the agreement requires, as President-elect Barack Obama has indicated he would like to do, Admiral Mullen said he recognizes there are "other options" for U.S. policy."Should President-elect Obama give me direction, I would carry that out," said Admiral Mullen. "I mean, that's what I do as a senior member of the military. What President-elect Obama has also said is that he would seek the counsel of myself and the Joint Chiefs before he made any decisions. And so, I look forward to that discussion, look forward to the engagement."Admiral Mullen would not say what advice he will give Mr. Obama, but he said he believes security conditions should continue to be considered as the new president charts his Iraq policy.
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UN: Israel Violating Law in Gaza
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UN official says a half million Gazans have been forcibly deprived of their rights, in direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law
Palestinian women wait outside the Erez Crossing as they try to enter the Gaza Strip, on the Israel-Gaza border, 14 Nov 2008The U.N.'s top human rights official says the Israeli blockade of Gaza is depriving Palestinians of their most basic human rights.High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Tuesday called for an immediate, full lifting of the blockade. She said it should be followed by a strong humanitarian response to relieve what she called the massive humanitarian suffering in Gaza.Pillay said one and a half million Gazans have been forcibly deprived of their rights, in direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.Earlier Tuesday, Israel said it will keep all border crossings with the Gaza Strip closed Tuesday because of Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel.The U.N. High Commissioner condemned the Palestinian attacks, and appealed for both sides to stop fighting. Israel shut its border crossings with Gaza after fighting erupted earlier this month between Israeli troops and Gaza militants. The blockade has led to shortages of food and fuel in the aid-dependent Palestinian territory.Israel allowed a humanitarian aid convoy of 33 trucks into Gaza on Monday.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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British Foreign Secretary Holds Talks in Damascus
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Talks between David Milliband, Bashar al-Assad widely seen as another sign of increasing European efforts to ease Syria's diplomatic isolation
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in Syria for talks with President Bashar al Assad, a visit widely seen as another sign of increasing European efforts to ease Syria's diplomatic isolation. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London. Image released by Syrian Arab News Agency of Pres. Bashar al-Assad (L) meeting with British Foreign Sec. David Milliband, 18 Nov 2008It is the first visit by a top-level British official to Syria in seven years and it is being watched closely.Damascus has come under sharp criticism for meddling in neighboring Lebanon, for supporting militant groups, including the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, for its close ties to Tehran, and for not doing enough to stem the flow of foreign insurgents into neighboring Iraq. Foreign Secretary Miliband told reporters he traveled to Damascus to talk about these issues and about Syria's responsibilities."I think there have been some important signs over the last year or so of Syria understanding the degree of concern and seeking to change some of its actions," he said. "I think it is very important that we continue to engage countries like Syria which wants to be a secular state in the heart of a stable Middle East and try to explain how it can play a big role in fostering that sort of stability."Washington has long sought to isolate Syria because of its alleged support for terrorism, but a visit to Damascus earlier this year by French President Nicolas Sarkozy was seen as an indication that Europe was opting to engage Syria to try to bring it out of its diplomatic isolation.Interviewed on British radio during a visit to London, Israel's President Shimon Peres said Syria must stop arming and supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon and show that it is ready to make peace. Then, he said, the two sides can talk about regional issues and about the return to Syria of the Golan Heights, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and subsequently annexed. A student looks through binoculars from the Syrian side of the occupied Golan Hights to see her family in Ein al-Tinehand village (file photo) "If Syria will understand that they cannot have the Golan Heights and keep Lebanon as a basis for the Iranians, then the decision will be clear," he said. "But, if she [Syria] wants back the Golan Heights and to keep her bases in Lebanon, which are really controlled and financed by the Iranians - no Israeli will agree to have Iranians on our border. We do not need them there." Syria has held indirect talks with Israel in recent months, under Turkish mediation. Damascus has repeatedly said it wants to make peace, but it has rejected Israeli demands that it sever its alliance with Iran and drop its support for Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups.
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India's Finance Minister Wants Rate Cut, Price Reductions
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Palaniappan Chidambaram says despite slowdown, agricultural sector remains healthy and country's overall economy will quickly be back on track
India's finance minister is calling for price cuts, as well as a drop in interest rates, to stimulate demand as growth slows in the nation of 1.2 billion people. Palaniappan Chidambaram says, despite the global economic crisis, a dip in Indian exports and investors pulling money out of the country, India's economy will be back on its high-growth track in six to 12 months. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman in New Delhi reports.India's finance minister is deriding the "gloom and doom" enveloping the domestic economic mood, contending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is working "24-7" to take steps to fend off the ill effects of a global slowdown. India's finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram Speaking at a summit of the World Economic Forum in New Delhi Tuesday, Palaniappan Chidambaram called for Indian consumer lending rates to drop several points from the current 13 percent level. He also says industries - instead of sitting on inventory - need to accept a temporary cut in profits to retain market share and do their part to stimulate consumer demand."Hotels must cut tariffs. Airlines must cut prices. Real estate must cut prices of homes and apartments they sell. Carmakers, two-wheeler makers must cut prices," he siad. "The classic response to a demand slowdown is to cut prices for a short time." The finance minister acknowledged some of the other challenges facing India's economy: billions of dollars being repatriated by foreign institutional investors, declining exports and a depreciating rupee against the dollar. Some international economists say India's economic overseers are still too concerned about inflation, preventing them from taking immediate steps to cut interest rates. But domestic observers point out that the government, with an eye on elections, is worried about a backlash at the polls, if it cannot keep food prices under control. Chidambaram says, even if India's annual growth rate dips to seven percent from its recent yearly increases of about nine percent, that would be no reason don "sack cloth and ashes." He predicts, although there will be a slowdown, the agricultural sector - employing about half of all Indians - remains healthy and the country's overall economy will quickly be back on track. "By the end of 12 months, we will back to the normal growth that we would like to have. There's no reason to spread gloom and doom," he said. "There are negatives, but there are positives. We should emphasize the positive and send out a message of confidence and our ability to overcome this crisis." The finance minister cautions action should not be taken based on the daily gyrations of the Mumbai stock market. His comments come following the Group of 20 crisis summit of world leaders. Prime Minister Singh and the finance minister attended the meeting. Chidambaram says the G-20 has surpassed the G-7 as the "single-most important forum for financial and economic issues of the world."
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China Says Tibetan Separatism 'Doomed'
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Beijing says it will never allow independence for region internationally recognized as part of Chinese territory
China has harsh words for Tibet, saying it will never allow independence for a region that is internationally recognized as part of Chinese territory. Beijing's comments Tuesday came as Tibetan exiles hold a meeting in India to decide the future of their campaign against Chinese rule in their homeland. Stephanie Ho reports from the Chinese capital.Qin Gang talks to reporters in Beijing (file photo)Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says the Chinese government's position on Tibet is "resolute."Qin says any attempt to separate Tibet from Chinese territory will be "doomed." He also emphasized that what he describes as the "so-called Tibet government in exile" is not recognized by any other government.The Chinese spokesman made comments directed at India, the country where many Tibetan exiles live and where Tibetan exiles are currently holding a crucial meeting.The spokesman says China hopes and believes India will live up to its commitment to forbid any separatist activities on its territory.Tibet's top spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to the Indian hill town, Dharmasala, following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959.He has publicly advocated a plan that recognizes Tibet as part of China, but allows more autonomy for the region's unique culture and religion. Recently, though, the Dalai Lama said he is losing hope in his efforts.China flatly rejects his plan as tantamount to Tibet independence.Tibetan exile groups are meeting in Dharmasala this week to discuss the future of their cause.Some Tibetans have grown impatient with the Dalai Lama's approach and insist on taking more drastic measures. They believe their homeland was an independent nation before Communist troops invaded in 1950. China maintains that Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries.
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Sri Lankan Military Captures Key Rebel-Held Towns in North
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Sri Lankan army is on a major offensive to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a Tamil homeland for 25 years
In Sri Lanka, the military says it has captured key areas held by Tamil Tiger rebels, in the north of the country. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the Sri Lankan army is on a major offensive to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a Tamil homeland for 25 years.Rebels examine their weapons in this handout picture released by The Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) website Tamilnet (file photo)A Sri Lankan military spokesman says that the navy sank two Tamil Tiger boats, damaged another and killed several rebels, Tuesday.The sea battle took place as troops consolidated their hold on three strategic towns captured from the rebels in recent days. The most important of these is Manukulam, which lies on a junction of a key highway and another road leading to the main rebel stronghold. The army says the town was used by the Tamil Tigers as a crucial supply route to the north.Manukulam was captured Monday -- just two days after the military said it had taken control of another key town, Pooneryn. from the rebels. Military spokesman, Udaya Nanayakkra says the military now controls the entire western coast of the island nation for the first time in a decade. He says this will hamper the rebels from operating in the sea. "Complete western coastal area has been liberated now and we have completely stopped the Sea Tiger activities in that area," Nanayakkra said.The government says the recent battlefield successes are "psychologically important" for troops trying to drive the rebels out of the north, where they control vast stretches of territory. An independent assessment of the fighting in the north is difficult, because journalists are barred from the area.However, analysts agree that the military has made significant advances against the rebels. But the head of Colombo's National Peace Council, Jehan Perera, says the rebels, who are also known as the LTTE, still remain a formidable fighting force. "Certainly the LTTE is under pressure," Perera said. "LTTE has been giving way all the time… They have lost large amount of territory. But from what we know they still retain the bulk of their weaponry and also their core fighters, who number several thousands, so it is still premature to say that the LTTE has been irreversibly weakened." The Sri Lankan military's next target is the main rebel stronghold, Killinochi. The government has vowed to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for an autonomous homeland for the minority Tamil community since 1983.
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Global Economic Slowdown Hurts Migrant Workers
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Filipinos living in New York are worried about state of the economy because it affects how much money they can send to relatives in their native country
While much of the news about the global financial crisis has focused on failed Wall Street banks, migrant workers and their families around the world are starting to feel the pain of slower economic growth. Pros Laput traces how the crisis affects Filipino migrants overseas and their families back home. He visited New York, Hong Kong and the Philippines and compiled this report, narrated by Kate Pound Dawson. The U.S. economy is suffering its worst crisis since the 1930s. What began as a slump in the housing market has exploded into a global credit crisis. Unemployment in the United States is at a 14-year high and is expected to worsen. This is bad news for the millions of immigrants in the United States, particularly those who send money to their families in their home countries. In Woodside, Queens, the heart of the Filipino community in New York, everyone is worried, because the state of the economy here has repercussions back home. Edilyn RecibeEdilyn Recibe, who has lived in New York for 10 years, has cut back on the money she sends to her family in the Philippines. Recibe says that if you lose your job here, it's a big problem. Her relatives back home are worried, because they see news reports about the weak U.S. economy. Recibe says her sister told her to keep her money because she heard from the news that many people in America are losing their jobs. As Americans cut spending, demand for Asian exports slows down, which means Asian economies slow down. And in banking centers such as Hong Kong, the credit crunch and the collapse of several international banks causes extra pain. More than 130,000 Filipinos live in Hong Kong, most of them employed as domestic workers. Abe de RamosAbe de Ramos is a financial analyst in the city. "We have already seen some unemployment in the financial sector and in the trading sector," Ramos said. "With greater unemployment within these households, they would have lesser capacity to hire (a) domestic worker." Filipino workers around the world sent more than $14 billion to the Philippines in 2007 - equal to 13 percent of the gross domestic product. So, lower remittances will hurt the economy. In Dapitan, a small city in the southern Philippines, remittances helped jump-start the local construction industry. Alice BalladaresAlice Balladares has a new two-story concrete house with a garage, built with money sent by her daughter in the Middle East. Like many, she faces two problems: increasing costs because of inflation, and shrinking remittances because the U.S. dollar buys fewer Philippine pesos. Balladares says, yes, the family has a beautiful house but the problem is meeting their daily needs. Like many around the world who depend on remittances, she has had to cut down on spending. But Raymond Regner, whose company handles money transfers to the Philippines in New York, says remittances may not slow significantly because Filipinos have a strong sense of responsibility toward their families. Raymond RegnerRegner says that no matter what happens, a Filipino will send money, even if there's nothing left for himself. He says they send money because people rely on them. But many families in the Philippines are not so confident that they, and their relatives overseas, will escape the effects of the weakening economy.
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'Quantum of Solace' Reveals Ruthless and Emotional James Bond
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Daniel Craig stars as popular secret agent in sequel to last year's 'Casino Royale'
007 is back on the job in the 22nd film adventure of British secret agent James Bond. Alan Silverman spoke with star Daniel Craig and director Marc Forster for this look at Quantum of Solace.For the first time in this long-running series the new film is a direct sequel to the previous one. In the 2006 hit Casino Royale, Bond broke one of his cardinal rules by getting emotionally involved with a woman, Vesper, who was blackmailed by a secret organization into betraying him. Daniel Craig, in his second outing as 007, explains that Quantum of Solace picks right up with the aftermath of that tragic end.Daniel Craig as James Bond in scene from Quantum of Solace"It always felt like the end of Casino Royale was the beginning of something: with the death of Vesper, this idea of betrayal and also this organization, Quantum, which they are digging into, there seemed to be unfinished business and we needed to tie those loose ends up," Craig explains. "So it was very clear to me that we wanted to solidify all those things. It was very easy for me to get back into that."In a sweeping plot that spans the globe, Bond goes after the mysterious head of Quantum - Dominic Greene, played by French screen star Mathieu Amalric - and teams up with a beautiful woman - Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko.Olga Kurylenko as Camille in scene from Quantum of Solace"Well, you know, I've seen quite a lot of Bond movies so I've seen some 'Bond girls.' They were all very different and I think my character is the only Bond Girl that is so feisty," she says.And there are the hair-raising chases and daredevil escapes that are trademarks of a Bond adventure. Craig enjoys the physical side of the character and says if it looks like he is jumping from a rooftop or crashing through a stained-glass dome that's because he is actually doing many of those action scenes."They are as real as they can be, generally speaking, and it is me most of the time,"notes Craig. "There are certainly moments when someone far better skilled than I am takes over to do the really tricky bits, but the jumps over the roof, the jump from roof to roof, the slide down …that's all me. It was kind of fun."Director Marc Forster on the set of Quantum of SolaceDirector Marc Forster is new to the espionage genre. His previous films include the character-driven drama Monsters Ball and last year's literary adaption The Kite Runner; and the German-born Swiss filmmaker says his take on Bond mixes the action with emotion." The [action] sequence should feel like a bullet," Forster explains. "It starts and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last frame; but at the same time it has this emotional layer over Bond's character so you get these glimpses of understanding the emotional pain of what he is living.""I think he is a violent character," adds the director, "and I think that is where part of his pain comes from and also the way he relates to women is not very healthy. I think there is a bit of overlap with the villain and [Bond]. In the old times during the Cold War it was very clear-cut between the good guys and the bad guys. Now I think it is much more unclear who is good and bad or what these secret agencies really stand for. Are they really there to protect the country or to serve the interests of a few …what is really their purpose and where does Bond fit in there? I think part of that anger or pain or violence comes out of that misplacement as well."Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko in scene from Quantum of SolaceDaniel Craig says there are more Bond stories to tell and he looks forward to playing the secret agent again."I feel very confident now," Craig admits. "Whether we get the chance to make another movie is always about the economics of it; but if we do, we can go wherever we want. I think emotionally now we are very secure and there is nothing not possible to do in a sense that we can go more 'Bond-like.' We can have the submarine base. We can have all the things that have been missing from these two movies. I feel very strongly that we are grounded now and I feel more confident about the fact that we won't be harking back; we'll be reinventing, hopefully, not letting anybody forget that it is Bond because, ultimately - as I've said three or four times - it is a Bond movie."Quantum of Solace features Dame Judi Dench as British intelligence chief "M." Giancarlo Giannini is Bond's ally in the field. Jeffrey Wright plays American agent Felix Leiter; and young newcomer Gemma Arterton makes quite an impression as Strawberry Fields. The globe-trotting action ranges from the streets and rooftops of Tuscany and Madrid to the deserts and mountains of Chile and the waters of Panama.
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