In June, United Kingdom Transport Minister Glenda Jackson...

In June, United Kingdom Transport Minister Glenda Jackson intervened on behalf of British mariners who fear they could face the death penalty if they are caught polluting the waters of the Persian Gulf. The proposed penalty - part of new draft environmental protection legislation - has alarmed the thousands of British seamen who work in Gulf waters every year. A spokeswoman for the UAE embassy in London attempted to play down the death penalty fears but said any country would act harshly against people found to be deliberately polluting their shores. She said: "Even Britain would put them in prison for life."