Reports say Gibraltar authorities (Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory) acted on EU sanctions that have been in place for years against Syria; however one EU sanctions and legal expert told Reuters: “This is the first time that the EU has done something so public and so aggressive. I imagine it was also coordinated in some manner with the U.S. given that NATO member forces have been involved.”
Read More: British Marines Seize Oil Tanker Headed For Syria In “Aggressive” Operation | Zero Hedge
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Worth noting is that the EU has always allowed weapons to flow to Syria — just not oil for them to rebuild, of course.