Navy warships in anti-piracy role (Al Qaeda targets tankers)

WARSHIPS will take on a greater policing role to counter escalating threats to shipping and national security such as piracy, kidnappings and smuggling, navy chief Chris Ritchie said.

The HMAS Brisbane docked in her home port. Navy warships will be turning their attentions increasingly to crime at sea / File

In a speech to a maritime conference in Sydney on the role of the navy post-September 11, Rear Admiral Ritchie said the service was being called on to perform a wider range of tasks beyond traditional warfare.

These included intercepting illegal cargoes, smugglers, fishermen and traffickers in missiles and weapons of mass destruction. "Maritime piracy, kidnapping and smuggling are on the rise," Admiral Ritchie said.

"Piracy in Southeast Asia and Southwest Asia accounts for 60 per cent of piracy worldwide and poses a serious threat to our mutual maritime traffic safety in this region."

There were 454 pirate attacks on merchant shipping last year, according to an International Maritime Bureau report, Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships, with 92 people confirmed killed or missing - nearly three times as many as in 2002.

"If I were willing to risk ... prediction, it would be that the navy will in the future be even more closely involved in maintaining and enforcing good order at sea," he said.

Admiral Ritchie also predicted the navy would be called on more to play a bigger role in protecting offshore oil and gas installations.

A report by the Navy Sea Power Centre released in October last year warned that oil and gas platforms in the Timor Sea were vulnerable to attack by al-Qaeda-linked terror groups that have already targeted tankers in waters near The Philippines and Indonesia.

The report recommended stepping up navy and air patrols and enforcing exclusion zones around the facilities.

Admiral Ritchie said threats from terrorism through smuggling of weapons of mass destruction and missiles meant the navy was also likely to maintain a high operational tempo to protect Australia.

"Attacks in New York, Washington, Bali and Jakarta demonstrate the way in which ... (terrorist) groups can employ relatively simple and inexpensive ways to apply intense pressure on governments," he said.

"Notwithstanding the strengthening of global economic ties, we are likely to see continuing military and nuclear tension, WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and missile proliferation."

http://www.iccwbo.org/ccs/imb_piracy/weekly_piracy_report.asp

Weekly Piracy Report

27 January - 2 February 2004

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 27 January - 2 February 2004.

Actual or attempted incidents

	01.02.2004 off Kien Giang province, Vietnam. Three pirates armed with guns opened fire at two fishing boats. They forced all 18 crewmembers to jump overboard. One crewmember seriously injured. Pirates escaped towards Thailand with the fishing boats and the fishing gear. Several hours later a passing Malaysian cargo ship rescued 15 crewmembers but other three are feared drowned.
	30.01.2004 at 1530 UTC in position 02:02S - 108:33E, south of Karang Ontario light house, Karimata Strait, Indonesia. Four speedboats approached a chemical tanker underway, one on stbd, another on port bow and two others from stern. Suddenly all four boats increased speed. One boat crossed ship's bow at collision course and one boat from stern approached at stbd quarter and tried to come alongside. Crew directed searchlights and could see 10 masked pirates armed with guns in one boat. Master took evasive manoeuvres. Boats followed ship for more than an hour and aborted attempted boarding.
	30.01.2004 at 0330 LT in position 01:23.5N - 117:10.0E, 23 nm from Balikpapan, Indonesia. Four pirates armed with long knives boarded a tanker underway. They stole two liferafts and fled.
	29.01.2004 at 0555 LT in position 14:34.6N - 049:33.5E, 7.5 nm from ash Shihr terminal, Yemen. Four pirates armed with shotguns in a speedboat, which made several attempts to board a general cargo ship underway. Alert crew raised alarm and switched on deck lights. After a few minutes the boat aborted attempt and fled.
	29.01.2004 at 0300 LT in position 01:08.2N - 103:29.5E, Singapore straits. Five pirates armed with long knives boarded a container ship underway. They entered the bridge and took hostage duty officer. They then went to master's cabin and forced him to hand over ship's safe key. Master managed to escape from day room to bedroom, locked the door and alerted crew. Pirates stole master's personal belonging and escaped.
	29.01.2004 at 0135 LT in position 01:10.6N - 103:27.2E, Singapore Straits. Three pirates armed with knives boarded a bulk carrier underway. They assaulted master and tied him up in his cabin. Pirates stole ship's cash, crew personal belongings and escaped by jumping from stern.
	28.01.2004 at 1515 LT at Onne port, Nigeria. Three pirates boarded a supply ship at berth and tried to steal ship's stores on the deck. Alert A/B raised alarm and pirates jumped into their canoe and fled. A/b was injured and received shore medical treatment.
	27.01.2004 at 0350 LT in position 18:33.8N - 072:22.9W, anchorage 'd', Port Au Prince, Haiti. Four pirates armed with knives tried to climb aboard a container ship by using a long rope attached to a hook. Alert A/B raised alarm and pirates escaped in a wooden boat.

Piracy prone areas and warnings

S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent

Bangladesh: Chittagong at berth and anchorage. Theft of zinc anodes welded to ship's sides and stern.

India: Chennai, Cochin

Indonesia: Anambas Island, Balikpapan, Bintan Island, Dumai, Gaspar (Gelasa) Straits, Pulau Laut, Samarinda, Tanjong Priok (Jakarta).

Malacca straits: avoid anchoring along the Indonesian coast of the straits. Coast near Aceh is particularly risky for hijackings.

Philippines: Manila

Vietnam: Haipong, Vung Tau

Africa and Red Sea

Gulf of Aden

Somalian Waters - Eastern and Northeastern coasts are high-risk areas for hijackings. Ships not making scheduled calls to ports in these areas should keep at least 75 miles and if possible 100 miles from the coast. Use of radio communications including VHF in these waters should be kept to a minimum.

West Africa: Dakar, Dar Es Salaam, Lagos, Luanda, Warri.

South and Central America and the Caribbean waters

Brazil - Belem
Colombia - Buena Ventura
Dominican republic - Rio Haina
Guyana - Georgetown
Jamaica - Kingston
Peru - Callao
Venezuela - Guanta, Puerto Cabello

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