Challenging Terrorism at Sea
Vijay Sakhuja
Maritime Security Analyst
More than eighty naval ships including aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines are currently deployed in the
Arabian Sea
as part of the international coalition to support the
US
war on terrorism in
Afghanistan
. They include ships provided by the
US
,
UK
,
Canada
,
France
,
Italy
,
Germany
, the
Netherlands
,
Australia
and
Japan
. According to Rear Admiral Fitzgerald, Commander US naval forces in the
Arabian Sea
, the coalition ships have “pretty much sealed the coast” of
Pakistan
to vessels that might attempt to smuggle Al Qaeda operatives and Taliban leaders out of the region. According to intelligence agencies, the Al Qaeda is reported to own about twenty merchant vessels capable of ocean passage. These vessels are operated or chartered through front companies in
Liberia
,
Panama
and the Isle of Man.
The terrorist groups appear to be extending their land attack capabilities to the maritime domain. Maritime assets (commercial ships, liners, ferries, ports and maritime infrastructures) are vulnerable to attack by terrorist groups. But what is most worrisome is the ability of the terrorists to challenge and attack naval vessels. The Al Qaeda attack on USS Cole in
Yemen
, Tamil Sea Tigers attack on Sri Lankan naval ships and the attempted Hamas attack on Israeli naval craft are pointers to the fact that even warships are not safe. The recent arrest in
Singapore
of twelve Al Qaeda operatives planing to attack the island nation’s deep water naval port has added to the risk of attack.
Terrorist tactics involve attacking ships both in harbor and at sea. They are known to use improvised explosive devices, submersibles, mini submarines and high-speed boats. Dual-use technologies such as the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), satellite communication systems, sea sport scooters and scuba diving equipment are found in their inventories. At sea, these terrorist groups have used rocket-propelled grenades, explosive-loaded speedboats and even armor piercing weapons. The terrorist networks have kept pace with changing technologies and have adapted themselves to counter maritime forces. It is therefore essential to understand the contemporary and emerging tactics and technologies employed by terrorist groups.
Although it is too early to determine trends or patterns in maritime terrorism, terrorists have struck in
Latin America
,
Europe
,
Middle East
, and in South and
South East Asia
. Among the two dozen odd terrorist groups identified to have engaged in maritime terrorism, at least nine are currently active and five operate in the Asia Pacific region. Notable among them are the (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) LTTE in
Sri Lanka
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MLF) in the
Philippines
. The recent capture by the Israeli navy of Karine–A, a Palestinian ship, carrying 50 tons of lethal ammunition has added to this growing list.
With the center of gravity of international terrorism shifting from the
Middle East
to
Pakistan
and
Afghanistan
, there appears to be a confluence between groups located in the Asia Pacific region and those in the
Middle East
. These groups have built sophisticated organizations that run an efficient network of commercial as also terrorist activities pursuing their business with total impunity.
Like terrorism, piracy at sea is an international crime. It is also a form of terrorism that affects the crew, passengers and ship owners. Its perpetrators engage in violence for both political objectives and commercial profit. An aircraft hijacking makes sensational news and attracts media attention, but piracy at sea remains a non-issue for the world. The International Maritime Bureau reported a total of 469 attacks on ships in 2000. They resulted in 72 seafarers being killed and 99 injured, up from 3 killed and 24 injured in 1999. There is an alarming rise in piracy and robbery in
Indonesia
,
Bangladesh
,
Malacca Straits, India
,
Ecuador
and the
Red Sea
. The center of gravity of piracy appears to have shifted to the Bay of Bengal-Malacca Straits region.
Terrorism has come to stalk the maritime environment. Terrorists recognize that maritime infrastructure is the soft underbelly of states that can be attacked with little effort. They have the capacity and capability to disrupt maritime enterprise and threaten the peaceful use of the seas. It is a wakeup call for all naval forces and coast guards to reinforce their capabilities to challenge this menace of terrorism at sea.
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