Tag: security measures

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute study Most ships involved in reported cases of sanctions-busting or illicit transfers of arms, drugs and equipment that could be used in the development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction are owned by companies based in the world's richest countries, according to the first comprehensive study of maritime trafficking.The ships are primarily commercial lines based in Germany, Greece and the US, according to the report, released on Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute."This doesn't mean the ship owners, or even the captains, know what they are carrying. But it is relatively easy for traffickers to hide arms and drugs in among legitimate cargoes," said the report's co-author Hugh Griffiths.The report shows that the methods adopted by arms trafficking networks in response to UN embargos on Iran and North Korea were pioneered by drug traffickers.They included hiding goods in sealed shipping containers that claim to carry legitimate items; sending the goods on foreign-owned ships engaged in legitimate trade; and using circuitous routes to make the shipments harder for surveillance operations to track."Containerisation has revolutionised international trade, but it also provides ideal cover for traffickers. So many shipping containers pass through the world's ports ...

No clear international jurisdiction over pirate detainees from East African waters The Harper government has wanted the navy to play a bigger role in battling Somali pirates in the waters off East Africa, but has been stymied about what to do with potential prisoners, documents reveal.The international effort to contain the pirating of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and beyond is something Canada "strongly supports" and it provides the perfect, low-risk venue for the country to showcase its military ability.A series of briefing notes, obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information from Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office and the chief of maritime staff, show the eagerness over the last two years to take on a renewed mission.But the enthusiasm is tempered by the reality that once caught, there's no place to try pirates."While international law provides that any state may take jurisdiction over piracy in international water, counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia continue to be hampered by a lack of authority in domestic laws, as well as by questions concerning jurisdiction over apprehended individuals suspected of piracy and related crimes," said Nov. 3, 2010 memo to Robert Fonberg, the deputy defence minister.Aside from the ...

For maritime operations and civilian operations in the Horn of African The Council of the European Union issued a press release stating that it has agreed to activate the EU Operations Centre for the Horn of Africa operations to strengthen cooperation between the EU military operations, including maritime operations and civilian operations in the Horn of African region as foillows:1."In the context of the Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa, the EU is conducting two military operations - EUNAVFOR Atalanta and EUTM Somalia - and has commenced operational planning to launch a civilian mission to strengthen regional maritime capacities in Somalia and in the wider Horn of Africa region. The simultaneous conduct of three CSDP actions in the region will require an enhanced level of coordination and interaction, including between military and civilian actors. In this regard, the activation of the Operations Center will contribute to reinforcing the EU's comprehensive approach that mobilizes the different tools at the EU's disposal and to improving the performance of the existing EU CSDP structures and of its missions and operations.2. To this end, and recalling its Conclusions of 1 December 2011, the Council agrees to activate the EU Operations Centre, in accordance ...

Countermeasures to safeguard vessel and crew welfare Cost effective armour protection provides unrivalled countermeasures to safeguard vessel and crew welfare. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), amaritime services provider, and Vessel Protection Solutions (VPS) announced the launch of a new anti-piracy partnership that will provide the ultimate protection for vessels and their crews while operating in known piracy regions. The solutions will provide customers with highly effective fully certified systems that are designed to combat RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) and small arms fire."Time and again we see bullet proof vests issued to crews without hard armour plates, and vessels using 8mm mild steel to protect the bridge, internal doors and citadels, which will do nothing against a round from an AK47," said Edward Unwin, Sales Director Vessel Protection Solutions. "Similarly, using double layers of standard mesh fencing to counter the threat of an RPG attack will actually increase the chance of a lethal detonation," continued Unwin.Following extensive research and live fire testing, as well as years of consultation with the defence industry and associated partners and suppliers, ISS and VPS will provide customers with a comprehensive range of advanced, high-tech protective countermeasures, including:Light Armour System against Shaped Ordnance (LASSO)A high tensile steel ...

Peace and security must be seen as a priority for EAC countries The East African Community (EAC) states have been cautioned not to ignore security threats to the region such as the attacks by the Al- Shabaab militants.An outgoing Defence Liason Officer to the Community from Uganda Col.David-Kasura Kyomukama said in Arusha yesterday that peace and security were an absolute necessity for the region and cannot be taken for granted."Peace and security must be seen as a prerequisite for whatever we are doing and we should not romanticize about that," he said when addressing a meeting of EAC sectoral councils on security matters. Col Kyomukama, whose tour of duty at EAC secretariat ends on January 31, warned that it would be too late for the region to plan for the necessary security measures when problems arise.He said despite commitment shown by the regional leaders, the peace and security structures at the EAC secretariat in Arusha were still lagging behind apparently because of little financial and logistical support.His remarks were echoed by a senior Kenyan security official who said that the EAC must have a policy guideline on counter-terrorism.Mr Mulea Iringo from the ministry charged with Internal Security said the EAC ...

Stressing the need for a comprehensive strategy in Somalia to curb piracy On Wednesday, 11 January, the Security Council received a briefing from Lynn Pascoe, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, on the situation in Somalia, including a briefing on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support to AMISOM and expressed their continued appreciation for the commitment of troops by the troop contributing countries. They commended the efforts of AMISOM and the Somali security forces and recognized the significant sacrifices these forces have made.The members of the Security Council stressed the importance of predictable, reliable and timely resources to AMISOM and called on the international community to provide uncaveated support to AMISOM in order for it to strengthen its capability and to better fulfil its mandate. They noted the recommendations on Somalia of the African Union Peace and Security Council of 5 January 2012 and the intention of the Secretary-General to submit a report. They underlined their intention to keep the situation under review. The members of the Security Council also stressed the importance of international assistance to develop ...

Focus on the promotion of pragmatic cooperation under the framework of the DOC The Fourth Senior Officials Meeting of China and 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) will be held in Beijing from Friday to Sunday."Senior officials will review the progress of its implementation, and focus on the promotion of pragmatic cooperation under the framework of the DOC," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Thursday at a regular news briefing.Progress was made last year in the implementation of the DOC, Liu said, adding that China and ASEAN countries agreed in July on the guidelines for the implementation of the DOC, paving the way for its further implementation.This year is the 10th anniversary of the signing of the DOC by China and ASEAN members in November 2002 as a code of conduct for all parties involved in diplomatic issues in the South China Sea.China successfully held a series of seminars on South China Sea oceanography and navigational freedom and security in December."China will seize this opportunity of making joint efforts with ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability ...

Any attempt to close the oil lanes is likely to lead to a major conflict The last time Iran tried to close the Strait of Hormuz, the trade artery linking the oil-rich Gulf states to the outside world, the Revolutionary Guards had only a few rubber dinghies and primitive mines to achieve their goals. Next time, they will be far better prepared.For the ayatollahs, the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and the tiny sheikdoms of the Gulf, has become a national obsession in their long-standing confrontation with the West. They know that, for all their long-held nuclear ambitions, they will never be able to match America's military supremacy.Even if they were to develop the know-how to fit a nuclear warhead to a ballistic missile, the odds are that the weapon would be shot down the moment it left its launch pad by one of the hundreds of anti-missile batteries the US has deployed around the Gulf region in anticipation of just such an eventuality.So far as the ayatollahs are concerned, a far more effective way of attacking the West would be to place a stranglehold on their economies. As General Sir David Richards, the head of Britain's Armed ...

67 passengers on board were taken to Seychelles to avoid the risk An American luxury passenger line en route to the Seychelles is stranded in the Maldivian waters due to "piracy risk", while the passengers depart to the Seychelles through airline flights.Secretary General of Maldives Association of YachtAgents (MAYA), Mohamed Ali, told Minivan News on Sunday that the passenger line had arrived on December 29 and was scheduled to leave the same day after a brief stop near Male'.However, he said the cruise captain had decided not to leave with the passengers on board due to "security reasons", as there have been severalattacksbypiratesnear the Seychelles."To avoid the risk, the 67 passengers on board were taken to Seychelles via Qatar Airways and Emirates last week," Ali said.As the passenger line is subjected to a daily fee of US$600 as long as it stays in Maldivian waters, he continued, "we are trying to send off the passenger line as soon as possible."He noted that the crew is taking the necessary security measures to ensure safety from a possible pirate attack."There are some maritimesecuritycompanies which provide security to large cruises or shipping vessels like these. So the passenger line is arranging security before ...

As the war of words escalates, the danger of a maritime clash remains In 1988, US warships clashed with Iranian forces in the Gulf. As a war of words now escalates, is there a danger that history will repeat itself?Operation Praying Mantis is today little more than a footnote in US naval history.But the clash between US warships and aircraft and Iranian forces in the Gulf in April 1988 could be a foretaste of the potentially larger naval clash that may be threatening as tensions in the region grow.Back in the late 1980s, Iran and Iraq were at war. The conflict spilled over into the Gulf with the Iranians targeting shipping from countries that they believed were supporting Iraq.In March 1987, President Ronald Reagan agreed to the re-flagging of a number of Kuwaiti tankers. Operating under US colours they would be able to be protected by US warships.A few weeks later, one of the reflagged tankers hit an Iranian mine. A series of sporadic skirmishes ensued, culminating in April 1988 when a US warship - the USS Samuel B Roberts - was also struck by an Iranian mine and was badly damaged.It was this incident that prompted Operation Praying Mantis. ...