2RHPZ
07-03-2004, 12:43 PM
The sinister strait - The next target for terrorism and US intervention
Officially the US-led 'war on terrorism' continues to focus on the Middle East and parts of Africa. However, Foreign Report can reveal that, unofficially, Western intelligence services are now paying increasing attention to a new potential threat. The latest target is international shipping, mainly in Southeast Asia.
This has been a very good year for the world shipping industry. The tanker and container business, which registered a drop during and immediately after the Iraq war, is now recovering fast - volumes have jumped by eight per cent in the trans-Pacific zone and by 10 per cent in the Asian-European routes. And yet there is a significant danger of maritime terrorism threatening the industry.
Most ships travel in isolation or small convoys, over long distances and sometimes far away from coastlines. They also carry valuable cargo or highly inflammable material such as oil or liquefied natural gas. More importantly, the key shipping routes pass through important 'choke points', such as the Strait of Malacca, which is both long and extremely narrow. An attack on a ship would not only result in extensive damage but would also cause long-term disruption to trade patterns. An oil-laden ship exploding in the approaches to a harbour would cause a humanitarian catastrophe.
The available evidence suggests that terrorists have already considered striking at maritime targets, particularly in the Strait of Malacca. Video tapes seized from Jemaah Islamiyya included footage of Malaysian maritime police patrols, an indication that this extremist organisation was observing safety procedures operating in the strait. Meanwhile, other terrorist groups - including Al-Qaeda - have already engaged in maritime terrorism against the US Navy warship USS Cole in October 2000 and against the French oil tanker Limburg, off the coast of Yemen in October 2002, which was carrying crude oil for Malaysia's Petronas company.
As security procedures are tightened throughout the world, terrorist organisations are concentrating on 'softer' targets, which are more difficult to protect. As happened recently, terrorists who intended to target British interests found it easier to bomb a British consulate and a bank in Turkey, than targets in London.
The shipping industry is a loose and sometimes chaotic organisation. Vessels are routinely owned by one country and operated in the territorial waters of another while flying the flag of a completely different nation. Crews tend to be multinational and often on short-term contracts. Any target that is as valuable and straddles as many legal jurisdictions as an oil tanker would be a tempting choice for a terrorist.
www.janes.com
Officially the US-led 'war on terrorism' continues to focus on the Middle East and parts of Africa. However, Foreign Report can reveal that, unofficially, Western intelligence services are now paying increasing attention to a new potential threat. The latest target is international shipping, mainly in Southeast Asia.
This has been a very good year for the world shipping industry. The tanker and container business, which registered a drop during and immediately after the Iraq war, is now recovering fast - volumes have jumped by eight per cent in the trans-Pacific zone and by 10 per cent in the Asian-European routes. And yet there is a significant danger of maritime terrorism threatening the industry.
Most ships travel in isolation or small convoys, over long distances and sometimes far away from coastlines. They also carry valuable cargo or highly inflammable material such as oil or liquefied natural gas. More importantly, the key shipping routes pass through important 'choke points', such as the Strait of Malacca, which is both long and extremely narrow. An attack on a ship would not only result in extensive damage but would also cause long-term disruption to trade patterns. An oil-laden ship exploding in the approaches to a harbour would cause a humanitarian catastrophe.
The available evidence suggests that terrorists have already considered striking at maritime targets, particularly in the Strait of Malacca. Video tapes seized from Jemaah Islamiyya included footage of Malaysian maritime police patrols, an indication that this extremist organisation was observing safety procedures operating in the strait. Meanwhile, other terrorist groups - including Al-Qaeda - have already engaged in maritime terrorism against the US Navy warship USS Cole in October 2000 and against the French oil tanker Limburg, off the coast of Yemen in October 2002, which was carrying crude oil for Malaysia's Petronas company.
As security procedures are tightened throughout the world, terrorist organisations are concentrating on 'softer' targets, which are more difficult to protect. As happened recently, terrorists who intended to target British interests found it easier to bomb a British consulate and a bank in Turkey, than targets in London.
The shipping industry is a loose and sometimes chaotic organisation. Vessels are routinely owned by one country and operated in the territorial waters of another while flying the flag of a completely different nation. Crews tend to be multinational and often on short-term contracts. Any target that is as valuable and straddles as many legal jurisdictions as an oil tanker would be a tempting choice for a terrorist.
www.janes.com