Cargo Ship Raided by Greece Was Going to Sudanese Capital "cargo was like an atomic bomb"

nytimes.com ^ | June 24, 2003 | FRANK BRUNI

[Destro]

June 24, 2003

Cargo Ship Raided by Greece Was Going to Sudanese Capital

By FRANK BRUNI

ATHENS, June 23 — A ship raided and impounded late Sunday night by Greek authorities was carrying 680 metric tons of explosives through Greek waters, Greek officials said today. The 230-foot vessel was destined for Sudan, a country that has served as a base for terrorist groups, they added.

Those officials also said paperwork aboard the ship listed the recipient of the explosives as a chemical company in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, that does not exist.

Those disclosures intensified both the concern and the mystery surrounding the ship, the Baltic Sky, which was boarded after Greek officials received tips from unspecified foreign intelligence services that they should question its seven-member crew.

Greek officials said they communicated with the crew — five men from Ukraine and two from Azerbaijan — and raided it only when no one on board would provide information about its cargo and destination.

The boat apparently picked up its potentially deadly cargo in Tunisia about six weeks ago, officials said today. But they could not say whether it was part of any terrorist plot.

Thus far, crew members have been charged with the unauthorized possession and transport of explosives across Greek territory.

The Greek merchant marine minister, George Anomeritis, said today that the crew "should have reported that it was sailing with a cargo that was like an atomic bomb."

The actual explosives were mostly dynamite, officials said.

The Baltic Sky was off the western coast of Greece, about 150 miles from Athens, when it was raided. But Greek officials described the boat's route as suspicious.

It left Albania in late April and picked up the explosives in Tunisia on May 12. It was spotted in Istanbul toward the end of May, and then, more recently, entered Greek waters.

"No one would call legal a cargo that is going around the Mediterranean for a month," Mr. Anomeritis told reporters.

The ship was flying a Comoros flag, which maritime officials called "a flag of convenience," meaning that a ship registered in Comoros avoids certain regulations, taxes and background checks.

Greek officials began keeping an eye on the ship five days ago, when they said they received alerts from foreign intelligence officials. But they said the Baltic Sky was not on a roster of suspicious vessels that the United States has issued to its allies and that NATO is tracking as part of its attempts to prevent terrorism.

Over recent weeks, there have been growing concerns about terrorist attacks, following bombings in Saudi Arabia and in Morocco.

Sudan was a base for Osama bin Laden in the early 1990's and has been accused by American government officials of sponsoring terrorism, although it has made efforts recently to show that it does not.

[Destro]

Greek officials began keeping an eye on the ship five days ago, when they said they received alerts from foreign intelligence officials. But they said the Baltic Sky was not on a roster of suspicious vessels that the United States has issued to its allies and that NATO is tracking as part of its attempts to prevent terrorism.

Thank you Russia? Israel?

[Destro]

Nice to see NATO still useless....

[jwalburg]

Sudan should have been listed among the members of the axis of evil. Slavery, terrorism of their own citizens, crucifying infants in the south... that kind of thing. Of course, if we went in to do anything, we'd only be in it "for the oil."

[Beck_isright]

" Thank you Russia? Israel?"

The Port of Baltimore?

[x1stcav]

"should have reported that it was sailing with a cargo that was like an atomic bomb."

Anytime you want to sensationalize anything of an explosive nature just compare it to an "atomic" bomb.

Yes, indeed. A very small "atomic" bomb.

This is, I believe, a reason for renewed interst on fuel/air devices like MOAB; the emotions aren't aroused among the general populace if the explosion is of a conventional type. Even though a MOAB has more explosive power than many tactical nukes, the reaction of the average person isn't the same.

[Uncle Miltie]

"picked up the explosives in Tunisia on May 12"

Tunisia: Former HQ for Pale Terrorist Arafat...

[pkpjamestown]

Possible Scenario: UCK or AlQaida ordered explosives from Turkey. The ship started out in Albania, went to Tunice (supposidely loading), then went to Turkey (really loading) and then headed back to Albania (Chartum is the other way) to deliver the goods to the Albanian terrorists or Al Qaida/European operations. Then.... they were caught!

[Cicero]

No question that Sudan is a center of evil. But from the viewpoint of our national interest there are other countries that need to be dealt with first, namely Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.

[PoisedWoman]

paperwork aboard the ship listed the recipient of the explosives as a chemical company in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, that does not exist.

.Actually, All companies in Khartoum do not exist. How's that for Sudanese logic? But it's true. Any shipment sent to a Khartoum company should be suspect, as the only going concern there is terrorism..

Wall Street Journal travel columnist Tony Horwitz had a wonderful chapter about Sudan, especially Khartoum, in his bestselling book, Baghdad Without a Map. It should be required reading for freepers, and besides, it's funny. ""In Khartoum, the streets are paved with sh*t. Literally."

[Angelus Errare]

Why in God's name is Sudan listed as a base for terrorist groups in the past tense? Al-Qaeda uses the place as its African HQ and has for the last decade.

Argghhh ...

Also, look for a possible link to the Tunisian synagogue bombing with whoever procured those explosives. The Tunisian al-Qaeda affiliate TCG is run by Tariq Maaroufi and Saifallah bin Hassine, though the Belgians finally got around to arresting Maaroufi in December 2001. They're basically a smaller version of the Algerian GIA and they want to overthrown the Tunisian government.

[Husker24]

Earlier today I heard a newscaster say that the 680 tons of explosives was "enough to blow up a 8 story building".......id sure as hell hope so.....my guess, is that it would be enough to blow up about 500 or so 8 story buildings.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

In December, 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the hub of the Dominion of Canada. World War I had brought activity and prosperity to the port. Convoys of ships loaded with war supplies of food, munitions and troops gathered in Bedford Basin ready for the voyage to Europe with heavily-armed warships as escorts. Neutral vessels anchored in the harbour, their crews forbidden to land for fear any might supply information to the enemy. New railway lines and terminals were almost completed, made necessary to handle the extra pressure of traffic. The population was swollen with troops, some awaiting embarkation for Europe, some garrisoned there, their families, and people who had come to benefit from the plentiful employment.

At 7.30 a.m. on December 6, the French ship Mont Blanc left her anchorage outside the mouth of the harbour to join a convoy gathering in Bedford Basin. She was loaded with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton and 35 tons of benzol: a highly explosive mixture. At the same time the Norwegian vessel Imo, in ballast, set off from the Basin bound for New York to pick up a cargo of relief supplies for Belgium. At the entrance to the Narrows, after a series of ill-judged manoeuvres, the Imo struck the Mont Blanc on the bow. Although the collision was not severe, fire immediately broke out on board the Mont Blanc. The captain, pilot and crew, expecting the ship to blow up immediately, launched the lifeboats and took refuge on the Dartmouth shore.

The ship burned for twenty minutes, drifting until it rested against Pier 6, in the Richmond district, the busy, industrial north end of Halifax. The spectacle was thrilling, and drew crowds of spectators, unaware of the danger.

Explosion A clock. M.M.A., N-15,066 The Silliker Car Works M.M.A., Charles A. Vaughan Collection, N-14,014	Just before 9.05 a.m., the Mont Blanc exploded. Not one piece of her remained beside the dock where she had finished her voyage. Fragments rained on the surrounding area, crashing through buildings with enough force to embed them where they landed. Churches, houses, schools, factories, docks and ships were destroyed in the swath of the blast. Children who had stopped on their way to school, workmen lining the windows, families in their homes, sailors in their ships, died instantly. Injuries were frightful, blindness from the splintering glass adding to the shock and bewilderment. The captain, pilot and five Imo crew members were killed. All from the Mont Blanc survived, apart from one man who later died from his wounds.
Rescue YMCA Emergency Hospital M.M.A., Kitz Collection, N-15,034	Mercifully, rescue began quickly, with the thousands of well-disciplined troops and naval strength available. City officials speedily arranged for volunteer help: relief committees had been formed by the afternoon of the disaster. Word went out to the surrounding areas and they responded with commendable speed. Hospitals and places of shelter were soon overcrowded. All possible buildings­even ships in the harbour­were commandeered, and some of the injured and homeless sent by rail to other cities. News of the disaster reached Boston the same morning. That very night a train loaded with supplies, together with medical personnel and members of the Public Safety Committee, left for Halifax. Help poured in from all over Canada and many parts of the world, with the continuing generosity of Massachusetts unforgettable. Each Christmas the huge tree that glitters in Prudential Plaza in Boston is a thank-you gift from the people of Nova Scotia.
Temporary housing supplied by Massachusetts relief M.M.A., Charles A. Vaughan Collection N-14,174 and N-14,127	1,630 homes were completely destroyed, many by fires that quickly spread following the explosion; 12,000 houses were damaged; 6,000 people were left without shelter. Hardly a pane of glass in Halifax and Dartmouth was left intact. The death toll rose to just over 1,900. About 250 bodies were never identified; many victims were never found. Twenty-five limbs had to be amputated; more than 250 eyes had to be removed; 37 people were left completely blind. Hospitals treated well over 4,000 cases, and private doctors hundreds more. The Dominion Government appointed the Halifax Relief Commission on January 22, 1918. It handled pensions, claims for loss and damage, rehousing and the rehabilitation of explosion victims. It was disbanded only in June, 1976. Pensions are now paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Result Hennessey and Kane Places, Hydrostone Development Temporary housing supplied by Massachusetts relief. M.M.A., Charles A. Vaughan Collection N-14,174 and N-14,127 Memorial at Fort Needham, Halifax.	As a result of the tragedy certain benefits accrued to the city. Medical treatment, social welfare, public health and hospital facilities increased and improved. Regulations relating to the harbour were tightened, making it as safe as human errors of judgment would permit. The Hydrostone development, built as relief housing, still stands, an early example of a very high standard of urban development. The official enquiry opened less than a week after the explosion. The captain and pilot of the Mont Blanc and the naval commanding officer were charged with manslaughter and released on bail. Later the charges were dropped, because gross negligence causing death could not be proved against any one of them. In the Nova Scotia District of the Exchequer Court of Canada in April, 1918, the Mont Blanc was declared solely to blame for the disaster. In May, 1919, on appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, both ships were judged equally at fault. The Privy Council in London, at that time the ultimate authority, agreed with the Supreme Court's verdict. Thus no blame was ever laid in the largest man-made explosion until the atomic age, when its effects were studied by Oppenheimer in calculating the strength of the bombs for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many gravestones, artifacts and monuments in the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth are reminders of the explosion. The most impressive is the Memorial Bell Tower on Fort Needham, overlooking the explosion site. Hanging there is a carillon of bells, donated in 1920 to the United Memorial Church, which was built to replace two churches destroyed in the explosion. The presentation was made by a young girl who had lost her entire family in the blast, her mother, father and four brothers and sisters. At 9 a.m. on December 6, every year, a service is held there in memory of the victims of the Explosion. The bells ring out and can be heard across the Narrows in north Dartmouth, all around Fort Needham, and in the areas devastated by the Halifax Explosion of 1917. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance Ships of the Halifax Explosion Frequently Asked Questions - Halifax Explosion
Web Sites	A Vision of Regeneration, a virtual exhibit about the explosion and reconstruction by the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management Halifax Regional Municipality - Explosion Page An account with links to explosion monuments in the city. Halifax Explosion Web Page - National Archives of Canada A selection of images and documents from the Explosion featured as part of a virtual exhibition Canada and the First World War site.
References	Armstrong, John Griffith. The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy (2002). A recent examination of the impact of the Explosion on Canada's Navy. Bird, Michael J. The Town that Died. (1962). A brief but concise account of the event, based on interviews with some of the survivors and naval records. Reprinted many times. Kitz, Janet F. Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and the Road to Recovery. (1989). The most comprehensive account available. Survivors (1992). The explosion through the eyes of children who survived. Mahar, James & Rowena Too Many to Mourn (1998) The explosion reconstructed from the experience of a devastated family in the most affected neighbourhood. Metson, Graham. The Halifax Explosion. (1978). A work containing copies of original documents and many never-before-published photographs. It also includes Archibald MacMechan's excellent first-hand account. Ruffman, Alan & Colin Howell eds, Ground Zero. (1994) An illustrated collection of articles examining historical, cultural and scientific aspects to the explosion. Written by Janet F. Kitz

[JennysCool]

Fascinating! Thanks for the post!

[gwmoore]

Real easily solved scenario here, while ship is safely out at sea..

Good practice for the submariners involved as well, and keeps their snapshot proficiency up to par.

Game over

Greg

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


...Last Weekend on ..'The JUDICIAL WATCH Report Radio Show'.. at:

http://www.JudicialWatch.org


...HILLARY & BILL CLINTON's Former White House Political Advisor DICK MORRIS confirmed what Terrorism Expert MONSOOR IJAZ and the Sudanese Ambassador of the time have been saying =

...In 1996 BILL CLINTON refused 2 Offers of OSAMA bin LADEN's Extradition from the Sudan to the U.S. for a Trial that would have prevented the September 11, 2001 Attacks on US.

Finally.


NEVER FORGET

[MEG33]

Ireland has entered the mix.

[MEG33]

Here's another story.

[mark502inf]

The listed route in this & other stories does not make sense. They say the boat was heading for Africa--Sudan, specifically and coming from Turkey as its last stop, but it was caught in the Ionian Sea--way off track. Only two reasons to be in the Ionian, a transit between Greece & Italy or moving north/south into or out of the Adriatic. There may be port-calls we haven't heard about yet or else a different destination than what is reported.

[pkpjamestown]

See # 7

[gaucho]

If the 680 tons of TNT was ignited all at the same time, it would produce a 10psi blast wave up to approx 280 meters (920 feet) causing severe damage and a 3psi wave (moderate damage) up to 600 meters (2000 feet). That's more energy then was required to destroy the entire WTC.