The War on Terror Goes to Sea

Unnoticed by most people outside the maritime industry, major new security measures came into effect last week for ships and seaports worldwide as part of the War on Terror.

While airports and airlines have undergone extensive changes in security in response to 9/11, the world's 20,000 harbors and 55,000 ships had until July 1 to implement the new International Ship and Port Facility code. Designed by the International Maritime Organization at the urging of the United States, the ISPFS is meant to protect maritime facilities from terrorist attacks and from use as terrorist weapons.

About 150 countries have signed on to implement the ISPFS. A failure to comply will result in such serious consequences as countries having their ports declared "contaminated,” causing ships to bypass them, severely damaging their economies. Harbors that allow ships from contaminated ports to visit will, in turn, be declared contaminated themselves.

The ISPFS will also ensure that ships will now have their ownership and origin clearly stated, and that each vessel possesses a security system that notifies shore authorities when there is trouble. Ships will also have security officers and possess a long range tracking system.

Like the trains in Madrid, security analysts believe al-Qaeda will eventually target a cruise ship, since they are considered soft targets. But their greatest fear is that a terrorist suicide squad will hijack a ship loaded with explosive material, sail it into a harbor or vital shipping channel, and explode it there with devastating consequences.

Greek authorities may have prevented one such "floating bomb" attack when they seized a ship in the Mediterranean that was loaded with 8,000 detonators and 680 tons of an ammonium nitrate-based explosive. The ship's cargo was supposedly destined for a company in Sudan with a non-existent post-office box. Ammonium nitrate was used in the truck bombings of the American embassies in Africa, in the Oklahoma bombing, and in the first World Trade Center terrorist attack. One Greek official described the vessel his country seized as an "atomic bomb.”

The Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia, security experts believe, poses the most tempting target for just such a terrorist attack. Regarded as one of the world's most important shipping lanes, it is only 2.4 kilometers wide at its narrowest point near the world's busiest port, Singapore. About 50,000 ships use the strait every year, through which a quarter of the world's trade and half of its oil travels annually. Surrounding countries fear that a hijacking and exploding of a tanker of liquefied natural gas, or other such highly inflammable material, in a nearby port would devastate the region.

To complicate matters, the Maritime Shipping Bureau calls the Malacca Strait the most dangerous waters in the world for piracy. According to the Bureau, in the first nine months of last year, 87 of the 344 pirate attacks worldwide took place there. It is not impossible that al-Qaeda could stage a hijacking in partnership with professional pirates. Al-Qaeda may have had a partner, or even controlled a ship, when it sent the explosives by sea to Africa for the embassy bombings. There are also reports that Bin Laden's operatives are learning to steer large ships, and they may also be infiltrating crews with false seamen papers, easily obtainable in some countries.

The United States regards the Malacca Strait as a top security priority due to its importance. For this reason, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld proposed last month at a conference for Southeast Asian defense ministers in Singapore a new security initiative for Southeast Asian sea lanes. Last February, the America government also signed an agreement with Liberia that would allow American security forces to board any Liberian-registered ship suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction or related material. Liberia has the second-largest number of ships registered in the world at 2,000. Panama has the world's largest ship registry, but has no such agreement with America to date.

Another American-sponsored security measure is the Container Safety Initiative, a screening process for the world's 230,000 million shipping container trade. America also has a reciprocal agreement with Hong Kong, the world's largest container port; it allows Hong Kong-based American officials to check America-bound containers, which number about 560,000 annually.

Containers are a growing concern to security services. It is believed the terrorists who staged the suicide attack on the Israeli port of Ashdod that killed 11 people last March gained access to the port in a container. Criminal and terrorist organizations also use them to smuggle people into target countries along with weapons and other illegal cargo. But the greatest fear regarding containers is that al-Qaeda may load one with a weapon of mass destruction, send it to an American port, and detonate it there.

Terrorist attacks on the USS Cole, the French tanker, Limburg, and the Philippine ferry, Superferry 14, show that the terrorist maritime threat is very real. To its credit, the Bush administration is attempting to set up a worldwide maritime security system to protect America's shores from terrorist threats from the sea. However, like his other accomplishments in the War on Terror, President Bush's efforts in this critical area will most likely receive scant notice in the upcoming election.

Weekly Piracy Report

29 June - 05 July 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 29 June - 05 July 2004.

Suspicious craft

30.06.2004 at 0500 LT in posn 12:25N - 049:33E, Gulf of Aden.
Duty officer of a container ship underway spotted two crafts lying ahead at a distance of 5 miles. They suddenly moved at high speed towards the ship. Duty officer directed searchlights and crafts turned away and sped off.

Actual or attempted attacks

	04.07.2004 at 0130 LT at Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh. About ten robbers in a 20 metres boat boarded a general cargo ship and threatened duty A/B with knives. Alert crew mustered and pirates escaped empty handed. Port control and coast guard were informed but they could not come to the ship due to rough seas.
	28.06.2004 at 1815 LT at Guayaquil anchorage, Ecuador. Seven robbers armed with guns and knives boarded a container ship at poop deck and tied up duty A/B. Alarm was raised and crew mustered and coast guard was informed. Robbers escaped in their boat with ship's property.
	28.06.2004 at 1445 LT in posn 06:02S - 106:53E, Tanjung Priok anchorage, Jakarta, Indonesia. Robbers boarded a container ship. They stole a liferaft and escaped.
	27.06.2004 at 0400 LT at Majunga inner anchorage, Madagascar. Three robbers boarded a bulk carrier. They hit duty A/B on head and neck causing serious injuries. Robbers stole forward liferaft and escaped. Injured A/B was sent to hospital for treatment.
	23.06.2004 at 0450 LT at Caltex berth no. 3, Dumai, Indonesia. Duty A/B on a tanker spotted armed robbers onboard. Crew mustered and robbers jumped overboard escaped. Terminal security staff were informed and they boarded for inspection.

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, Haldia

Indonesia: Adang Bay, Anambas/Natuna Island, Balikpapan, Belawan, Dumai, Gaspar/Bar/Leplia Str, Jakarta (Tg.Priok), Lawi-Lawi, Pulau Laut, Samarinda, Vicinity of Bintan Island

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

Philippines: Manila

Singapore Straits

Vietnam: Haipong, Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau

Africa and Red Sea

Gulf of Aden

Somalian Waters - eastern and northeastern coasts have been high-risk areas for hijackings. Whilst there have been no recent incidents, ships not making scheduled calls to ports in these areas should stay away from the coast.

East Africa: Dar Es Salaam

West Africa: Abidjan, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Lagos, Luanda, Onne, Tema, Warri

South and Central America and the Caribbean waters

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

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