Regards, Ivan
Posted on 11/02/2002 5:23:04 PM PST by MadIvan
The Royal Navy has moved two anti-terrorist vessels to Gibraltar to counter the threat of suicide attacks from al-Qa'eda.
The fast patrol boats Grey Wolf and Grey Fox were previously used in Northern Ireland to combat the IRA, but were moved to Gibraltar after intelligence indicated that there is a direct threat to British ships in the area.
The intelligence reports, which were gathered in the wake of earlier suicide attacks on ships in the Gulf, state that a direct threat exists against all British and Nato military shipping using Gibraltar or passing through the Straits of Gibraltar.
A floating boom has already been placed across the harbour but naval chiefs believe that British ships need greater protection. Evidence of the increased terrorist threat has mounted in recent months. In May, Moroccan investigators arrested three Saudi Arabian al-Qa'eda suspects in Casablanca. They believe that the men had received instructions to go to North Africa to plot attacks against British and American interests there.
Last month a French oil tanker, the Limburg, was holed by an explosion off Yemen, thought to have been the result of a terrorist attack, possibly by al-Qa'eda or sympathisers.
The two Royal Navy ships, which are highly mobile and armed with machineguns, have a top speed of more than 30 knots and are thought to be ideal for countering the threat posed by al-Qa'eda suicide bombers. A Ministry of Defence official confirmed that they had been moved to Gibraltar to protect against al-Qa'eda attacks, saying: "We know that al-Qa'eda have been active in North Africa, especially Algeria and Morocco. We also know that they are prepared to plan and launch suicide attacks against ships. We know those attacks are indiscriminate and that they can cause large numbers of casualties. We have to make sure we have something that can counter this threat."
Most modern warships are designed to counter attacks either from other ships, or from fighter jets and missiles. Protection against small inflatable craft moving at high speed and packed with explosives, the tactic used by al-Qa'eda, is however, very poor and the bigger the ship the easier it is to launch such an attack against it. Grey Wolf and Grey Fox would be ideal to counter this threat because of their manoeuvrability and high speed. The decision to move the vessels to Gibraltar follows calls from international maritime bodies for the United Nations to consider options for providing protection for ships in high-risk areas.
In 2000, al-Qa'eda terrorists attacked the Cole, an American destroyer, killing 17 sailors. The terrorists struck while it was anchored off Yemen. The US State Department has issued a warning that al-Qa'eda could be planning further attacks against oil tankers in the Arabian Gulf and off the Horn of Africa. The Pentagon had also claimed that Abu Zubair, who was arrested earlier this year and is thought to be one of al-Qa'eda's most senior members, was involved in an abortive attempt to blow up Nato ships in the Mediterranean.
Regards, Ivan
Don't knock The Rock.
You might get hurt...
May Her Majestys Navy send to your reward! Hell!
I think the U.S. Navy should break out the PHMs (Pegasus-class guided missile hydrofoils).
should be "May Her Majestys Navy send you to your reward! Hell! "
Sorry, the Clinton navy sold them all.
PHM 1 Pegasus 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
PHM 2 Hercules 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
PHM 3 Taurus 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
PHM 4 Aquila 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
PHM 5 Aries 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
PHM 6 Gemini 30 July 1993$ Sold 19 Aug 1996; hulk to be reused
http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/usa/decom.htm#coast
Germany - Police searching for terrorists planning attacks on warships in Straits of Gibraltar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/780974/posts
X42 sold them all in 1993? Didn't waste anytime!!
I should have guessed. If Klinton is willing to sell nuclear weapons technology for his own personal gain, this ain't nothing to him. What a dirtbag. (I could conjure up stronger words, but I would get banned from FR and it wouldn't really be constructive anyway.)
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