THE USS COLE

VISITING the port of Palma at the moment is the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer, Cole, which was severely damaged in a terrorist attack in Aden harbour in the year 2000 which claimed the lives of 17 members of its crew. Yesterday, I went aboard and saw for myself where the bomb exploded close to one of the main dining areas. It was a horrific incident and clearly underlined the fact that even the most powerful vessels in the world are vulnerable to attack by small vessels, packed with explosives. But probably one of the most remarkable feats in the aftermath of the incident was how the crew of the Cole cared for their injured and tried to contain the damage to their vessel. At the same time they were also on the lookout for further attacks. The Cole has been extensively repaired and has been operating in the area where she was attacked. She is a formidable vessel and has a fine crew. While the attack was one of the darkest hours for the U.S. Navy they can take great pride in how the crew reacted at the time and how the 17 who died on that fateful day are still remembered and will always be remembered.

I AM sick to death of hearing how the recent heavy rains are good for local farmers. I finally couldn´t take it anymore yesterday when a taxi driver said “well isn´t it great about the rains and how it will help farmers.” “Well actually no. I am sick to death of the rain and while the half a dozen farmers will be happy, this island doesn´t live from farming, it lives from tourism and if the sun doesn´t shine we are in trouble.”