Posted on 03/19/2003 12:14:40 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Nairobi, Mar 17, 2003 (The East African/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- THE WAR on terrorism in East Africa has now targeted the activities of 24 foreign-registered vessels operating from Mombasa amid a warning by the US of possible shoulder-fired missile attacks in Nairobi.
Security agencies suspect that ships flying flags of convenience (FOC) are being used by Osama Bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorists to smuggle explosives, chemical or biological weapons, or even radioactive "dirty" bombs into target countries.
The EastAfrican has established that, with war imminent in Iraq, international security agencies have focused their attention on FOC vessels operating not only at the port of Mombasa but in other ports of the world.
A Kenya security official said that initial investigations had established that there were 24 locally-owned merchant vessels in Mombasa flying FOCs.
A maritime official in Mombasa said that the probe into FOC vessels has been intensified following evidence that the blast that ripped through a French tanker, the Limburg, in the Gulf of Aden last October, was a terrorist attack.
Last week's alert by the US State Department, which will remain in effect until July 10, cites the Paradise Hotel bombing in Mombasa last November and the nearly simultaneous attempt to shoot down an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombasa. "Supporters of al Qaeda and other extremists are still active in East Africa," the State Department said.
The Limburg is said to have been rammed by a small boat, noticed by crew members shortly before it exploded. The identity of the attackers is still unknown. The tanker was carrying 400,000 barrels of crude oil when the blast ignited a fire on board, killing one crew member and spilling 90,000 barrels of oil into the sea.
The investigations are being carried out jointly by Kenyan security forces, America's Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Israel's Mossad.
Kenyan investigators working with the foreign agencies are mainly drawn from the Kenya Police Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, which Security Minister Christopher Murungaru last week said was now made up of 400 officers.
The FOC vessels include oil tankers, dredgers, general cargo ships, supply boats, salvage tugs, passenger ships and container ships registered in St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Lorenzo, Nassau, Sao Tome, Kings Town, Panama, Malta, Madeira, Germany and South Africa.
Questions have been raised over why more than 24 merchant vessels mainly owned and run by Kenyans are flying FOCs.
Investigations following the August 7, 1998 terrorist attack on the US embassy in Nairobi revealed that explosives used in preparing the bomb came through the port of Mombasa.
Significantly, the new investigations come at a time when fears have risen that an American-led war on Iraq could lead to an increase in terrorist activities around the world, including East Africa.
Last week, both the United States and Britain warned their citizens visiting Kenya and Tanzania against what they called "the continuing potential for terrorist actions, including kidnapping," with the US State Department saying that "supporters of Al-Qaeda and other extremists are still active in East Africa."
The British Foreign Office, on its part, warned that the threat posed by terrorism in East Africa was "significant," adding that British nationals in Kenya "should be vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping malls."
Earlier, in January, New Zealand's cricket team pulled out of a scheduled World Cup match in Nairobi after asking to move their game because of "active terrorist organisations" they said were operating in Kenya.
The ongoing investigations are related to last November's abortive missile attack on an Arkia Airline jet near Moi International Airport, Mombasa, which occurred simultaneously with another terror attack on the Israel-owned Paradise Hotel in Kikambala, 25 km from Mombasa, which left 15 people dead.
Early this month, the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit arrested three family members from Lamu District for questioning in connection with twin attacks in Mombasa.
The three were released after being interrogated by both FBI and Mossad agents. Family members said they had been interrogated by the security agencies over their relationship to a Mr Abdulkarim who is wanted in connection with his alleged terrorist links.
They said Mr Abdulkarim, a Yemeni national, had married into their family and stayed on Siu Island of Lamu District until January when he left, saying he was going to rejoin his family in Ethiopia.
He is among terror masterminds wanted in connection with both the August 7, 1998 terrorist attack on the US embassy in Nairobi and last year's Mombasa attacks.
Sources said that the probe into activities of FOCs was part of the international campaign against terrorism.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) member states are said to be hunting for up to 30 ships FOCs believed to be controlled by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) says that the FOC system, which allows terrorists to own and run ships under a veil of secrecy poses a security threat not only to the US but to the rest of the world.
According to ITF, around 30 countries rent their national flags to ship-owners of any nationality, guaranteeing them secrecy and non-interference and imposing lax, or even non existent, tax and legal requirements.
The transport workers' body says that lack of transparency in the FOC system is a threat to national and maritime security. FOC vessels have been linked to the registration of hijacked ships, phantom ships, fraudulent marine documentation, illegal and unregulated fishing, illegal alien smuggling and, most recently, to international terrorism.
As part of the multinational campaign against terrorism, a special international anti-terrorism squad is currently based in Mombasa. The German Naval Air Wing Detachment, based at the Moi International Airport, is using maritime patrol aircraft to monitor ships plying the Gulf of Aden and the Somali coast.
The detachment is part of the United Nations Enduring Freedom multinational forces operating in Afghanistan, Djibouti and Kenya in search of suspected al Qaeda terrorists.
The German unit observes ship movements and relays information to the international coalition forces headquarters in Bahrain for further action.
Australia, Britain and the US - the three countries preparing for military action against Iraq - each issued terrorism alerts last week either for specific East African countries or for the entire sub-region.
London named Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti as possible targets, while Canberra confined its warning to Djibouti.
Washington's March 13 announcement was addressed to US citizens throughout East Africa, but Kenya was the only country mentioned by name.
None of the three notices made specific reference to the looming war against Iraq.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher acknowledged, however, at a March 14 press briefing that "the possibility of military conflict does raise the possibility of terrorist or other attacks."
Mr Boucher added that threats from terrorist groups are not necessarily linked to the Iraq crisis and should prompt vigilance "whether or not there is military conflict."
Although the March 13 warning was phrased as a reminder to Americans "of the continuing potential for terrorist actions" in East Africa, the announcement contained a new caution regarding attacks on seaports. It was also based on recently gathered information, US officials said, without indicating the nature of that information.
Last week's alert, which is to remain in effect until July 10, repeats an earlier warning about possible shoulder-fired missile attacks in Nairobi.
The latest announcement cites the Paradise Hotel bombing in November and the nearly simultaneous attempt to shoot down an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombasa. "Supporters of Al Qaeda and other extremists are still active in East Africa," the State Department declares.
In a separate warning issued in January, the US cautioned that terrorists might be planning strikes against Americans in Zanzibar. Restaurants, clubs or hotels could be targeted, said the notice, which remains in effect until May 12.
That warning has led to a significant drop in tourist visits to Zanzibar. And Kenyan officials are clearly worried that the new round of alerts could prompt American, Australian, British and other Western holidaymakers to avoid East Africa.
"There are already fears that the popular Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner that is expected in Mombasa next week with about 4,000 passengers on board may change its voyage in response to the alert," the BBC reported last Friday.
Kenya has not said whether it will assist the US in waging war against Iraq. Government officials have declined to discuss possible American use of air and sea facilities in Kenya.
The country's delegation to the UN has also remained largely silent throughout the debate on whether UN weapons inspections in Iraq should be allowed to continue in the coming weeks.
Kenya did not join other 50 other developing countries in addressing the Iraq issue at a March 11-12 UN Security Council session. That was the second time in the past month that Kenya declined the opportunity to present its views on Iraq to the Security Council.
At last week's session, Malawi spoke on behalf of the African Group of countries at the UN in urging continuation of efforts to disarm Iraq peacefully. In addition, however, individual statements were made by Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Additional reporting by Dagi Kimani in Nairobi and Kevin J Kelley in Washington.Comments\Views about this article.
They said Mr Abdulkarim, a Yemeni national, had married into their family and stayed on Siu Island of Lamu District until January when he left, saying he was going to rejoin his family in Ethiopia.
Armed Americans arrest al-Qaeda suspect in Somalia: witnesses
From that story:
"Those who arrested the Yemeni arrived from Nairobi a day earlier and their plane stayed overnight at Aisaley airport which is not far from the hospital," a Somali militiaman at the airport said.
"The Yemeni was then flown to Nairobi," he added.
Mr. Abdulkarim (what's left of him) is toast.
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