Terrorists might exploit merchant marine identification

According to this

"Terrorists can exploit lax identification procedures in the merchant marine to obtain sailors' credentials and stage attacks on ships or ports, a top U.S. Coast Guard official said on Tuesday.
'Merchant-marine documents ... contain virtually no security features,' Rear Admiral Larry Hereth said in written testimony to a Senate commerce, science and transportation committee hearing.
'We cannot, and must not, continue with business as usual in the area of mariner credentialing. The specter of a terrorist obtaining and using a merchant-mariner credential to access and attack vital areas of a strategic port is one that is very real,' he said.
Hereth, the director of port security for the Coast Guard, said his agency was working with the Transportation Security Administration to help implement new identification standards for commercial sailors, but there was no timetable.
Members of the U.S. merchant marine must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, foreign commercial sailors need a U.S. visa to disembark from their ships in U.S. ports."

Hey, we can do this. First, establish a timetable. Second....

Lake Charles: LNG Hotbed

According to Maritime Global Net

Lake Charles, Louisiana liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is the most obvious receiving port for the impending wave of new LNG coming to the US market, according to specialist analyst Steve Johnson, principal of consulting firm Commercial Services Company.

Mr Johnson says: “Start-ups of a number of LNG trains are now ahead of schedule and the volume of new supply expected to enter the market before year’s end continues to increase. The latest tally of additional LNG to begin to flow by the end of 2005 is estimated at 34.4 million tons per year.”

According to Mr Johnson, the Lake Charles terminal’s ability to receive LNG from all suppliers, regardless of heat content, coupled with an eventual import capacity of up to 1.5 bcf/day, make it the anticipated workhorse in the Western Hemisphere. The end effect on the US domestic market will be a significant reduction in the price basis in the western region of Louisiana relative to Henry Hub, especially in the winter months when Lake Charles imports have traditionally been lower.

He says: “Though France and Spain certainly have the appetite to ingest a significant volume of LNG, storage is a limiting factor. And, though there is enough global receiving capacity to absorb the expected onslaught of supply, one must take into account the logistics involved with shipping and scheduling,” Johnson explained. “Available dock space must be sufficiently contiguous to be practical for would-be sellers and this is why we may see discounts given for fully loaded cargoes which require significant waiting time before discharging.”

Navy and Coast Guard Future: Owning the Seas in the Post 9-11 World

For an extensive Heritage Foundation assessment of where the American Sea Services are headed for the near (20-30 years) future, read: Smarter Security for Smaller Budgets: Shaping Tomorrow's Navy and Coast Guard Maritime Security Capabilities.

The likelihood of major combat operations at sea has diminished significantly for the next two to three decades. In its place, maritime security operations against numerous non-military, non-traditional, asymmetric threats—terrorists, criminals, pirates, smugglers, and assorted miscreants—are highly likely. These threats must be defeated, preferably at their origin, or well before they reach America’s shores. This new national security environment places much greater emphasis on maritime security or constabulary operations for the purpose of “good order and discipline” at sea.

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard are among the federal agencies addressing these threats to America’s maritime security. The Navy will conduct increased global maritime security operations in regional coop erative agreements, primarily against the terrorist threat, while still addressing military threats from hos tile nation-states as well as warfighting and deterrence responsibilities for dissuasion, contested access, and power projection[1] purposes. The Coast Guard will concentrate on maritime security operations against terrorist and criminal threats in America’s maritime domain while still addressing its responsibilities for maritime safety, mobility, protection of natural resources, and national defense.

There are some things to iron out:

Despite great commonality in how both services conduct maritime security operations, the Navy and Coast Guard are headed in different directions to provide this capability. The Navy plans to adapt its sophisticated warship, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), and the Coast Guard is building purposely designed maritime security ships. In an era that plac es great emphasis on inter-service “jointness” as dem onstrated by the Joint Strike Fighter Program, along with the very real reality of austere defense procure ment budgets, the nation can no longer afford this bifurcated approach to its maritime security...The Navy and Coast Guard are headed in differ ent directions with regard to building ships for maritime security duties. The Navy plans to adapt a future combatant for maritime security duties by altering its new, special-purpose, anti-access com­batant, the Littoral Combat Ship, which is being designed in two variants—a 340-foot, 1,500-ton combatant and a 430-foot, 3,000-ton warship. Both variants will be speedy, optimally manned combatants, designed primarily to perform “focused missions” along the enemy’s coastlines— neutralizing mines and defeating submarines and fast attack craft in relatively shallow coastal waters. Optimized with stealth and command-and-control technologies for focused warfare, and possessing robust self-defense capabilities, a maximum speed of 40 to 50 knots, a 21-day endurance and a 4,500-nautical-mile range at 22 knots, and only around a 1,500-nautical-mile range at high speed, the LCS design uses modular “plug and-fight” mission pay load packages for each mission...The Coast Guard is building two new types of maritime security ships as part of its Integrated Deepwater Project—a 421-foot, 4,200-ton ship and a 350-foot, 3,200-ton ship. With its 12,000-nautical-mile range, 60-day endurance, and 29-knot sprint speed, the “high-end” maritime security ship (WMSL) can provide a security presence throughout America’s maritime domain, as well as operate overseas. The smaller maritime security ship (WMSM), with its 9,000-nautical-mile range, 45-day endurance, and top speed of 28 knots, can also provide a security presence in almost all parts of America’s maritime domain. In a pinch, the WMSM could also deploy to forward areas.

The Coast Guard is currently planning to procure around 33 of these ships: eight large maritime security ships at about $280 million each and 25 medium maritime security ships priced at $200 million each. The Coast Guard is also ensuring that these two classes of ships can operate in the post– September 11 security environment...The Navy and Coast Guard are well aware of each other’s efforts in regard to maritime security capabilities. The two services are focusing their col laborative and coordination efforts not on common hulls, or mechanical and electrical systems, but on C4ISR systems commonality and interoperability. The Navy and Coast Guard want their ships to be able to make use of each other’s onboard and off-board systems when they find their ships working together in a homeland or overseas operation. (From a security standpoint, there are no longer any “home games” or “away games.” Both services see homeland security, homeland defense, and overseas operations as key elements of their “port folios” for the 21st century.) Undoubtedly, their approach is reasonable given the different originat ing context and timelines associated with LCS and Deepwater. However, this de facto joint Coast Guard–Navy approach is not mandated or over seen by Congress...In his 2005 Guidance, Admiral Vern Clark direct ed a strong “belt-tightening” approach, calling for a faster, more agile, and smaller fleet.[36] Admiral Clark clearly recognizes that the Navy’s present acquisition plan is unaffordable. Admiral Clark also knows that building a Navy force set that is designed only to deal with major combat opera tions, given all the other tasks that the Navy faces in the world today, “is the incorrect approach to building the force set of the future.”[37]

Admiral Clark wants to reshape the Navy to “handle anti-terror missions as well as traditional naval operations.”[38] One of Admiral Clark’s key lieutenants, Vice Admiral Joseph Sestak, says that “the Navy’s traditional areas of operations—over seas offensive combat operations and homeland defense—are merging.”[39] It almost sounds as if the Navy is reinventing a portion of itself to do Coast Guard missions as it searches for more relevancy and affordability.

With a Coast Guard equipping itself with 33 maritime security ships, with a Navy headed toward placing greater emphasis on homeland and maritime security duties, and in a world plagued with a burgeoning growth in terrorist and civilian maritime threats, the nation can ill afford two sep arate solutions for its maritime security require ments. Full integration between the Navy and the Coast Guard with respect to maritime security capabilities, planning, and operations is warrant ed, especially in light of current and foreseeable budget realities. The Coast Guard and Navy must forge close bonds and blend their respective national elements of maritime power in a collabo­rative way to meet the nation’s maritime security requirements.

Very interesting, and in the budget wars, I hope that serious turf wars don't get in the way of providing the best possible equipment for national security.

UPDATE; Of course, there is that little thing about the Chinese and Taiwan and something about sinking a US aircraft carrier:

Clearly, the X factor for China is potential U.S. intervention. But China’s strategists think they may have the key to overcoming the United States: sinking a U.S. aircraft carrier. Chinese Major General Huang Bin explained the reasoning: “Once we decide to use force against Taiwan, we definitely will consider an intervention by the United States. The United States likes vain glory; if one of its aircraft carriers should be attacked and destroyed, people in the United States would begin to complain and quarrel loudly, and the U.S. president would find the going harder and harder.” China has equipped its advanced Sovremenny-class destroyers with Sunburn supersonic anti-ship missiles -- missiles designed to sink large vessels such as aircraft carriers.

Of course, here are some additional thoughts on the carrier - and who might have to decide to respond...

Another Kind of Service Completely

Over at the The Gun Line SGT B has some suggestions for the Navy's weakest link Pablo Paredes about real courage and honor...

Too bad that Paredes is listening to the wrong crowd instead of to SGT B.

Update: If you haven't heard of Paredes, read Smash's letter to him here.


And, thanks to SGT B, I was directed to Chaotic Synaptic Activity, and both the Sarge and CSA are now on my blogroll. Good ones. And CSA pointed me to Redleg, who joins the roll, too.

Singapore's Navy has USVs: From a Singapore Angle

Rather than repeat his excellent post on a revolution in the Navy way, go visit From a Singapore Angle's RSN USVs and his links for some interesting surface navy stuff.



Tell him I sent you.

Update: The USVs look like pretty impressive force multipliers. I'm beginning to wonder about the bandwidth needed to operate UAV, USVs, SSVs, etc in a hectic battlespace...and who will handle the deconfliction role....

JIATF South: Worth Emulating?

Dr. J Carafano thinks he's seen the future of the war against terrorism and he likes it. Read A Better Way to Fight Terrorism to learn about a truly joint (military sense means more than one service involved) operation that has had some success over a 16 year period.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon often gets saddled with tasks that should be done by other federal agencies. Tsunami relief is just one example. Every problem does look like a nail when all you have is a hammer.

The Pentagon still needs major military commands where we have long-standing military alliances: in Europe and Northeast Asia. Additionally, a military command to support homeland security (Northern Command, a post-9/11 Pentagon initiative) also makes sense.

But the United States should replace other combatant commands with organizations that look more like JIATF South, organized to cover troubled parts of the world that America needs to worry a lot about and focused on transnational threats particular to those regions.

Thus, JIATF South should worry about terrorism, human and arms trafficking, as well as drug smuggling. A task force covering Africa and the Middle East would be concerned with arms smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism and infectious diseases. One covering South and Central Asia would be oriented on piracy, human trafficking, terrorism, infectious disease and trafficking in materials need to make weapons of mass destruction.

Defeating terrorism would be a perfect mission for the regional interagency task forces. After all, no part of the government has all the tools or all the information it needs to get the terrorists before they get us. The Key West approach offers a model of how to get more out of the sum of the parts.

It does work, once you get a common language developed.

Latest (to May 16) Piracy Report from ICC Commercial Crime Services

Latest (to May 16) Piracy Report from ICC Commercial Crime Serviceshere, mostly small time thefts. However, this is interesting:

13.05.2005 at 0110 LT in position 05:13N - 098:06E, Malacca straits.
Armed persons in an unlit 7m craft approached a general cargo ship underway. D/O took evasive manoeuvres but craft came into contact at port side causing damage to ship's hull. D/O sounded whistle and called craft on VHF ch 16 but received no response. No boarding took place.

(D/O=Duty Officer).

Mobile Security Detachment 25 Deploys to U.S. 5th Fleet

MSD 25 was established Sept. 17, 2004, under the new Mobile Security Squadron 6, a growing expeditionary force responsible for anti-terrorism/force protection for the Navy’s assets overseas. MSD 25 completed its Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) mid-April 2005, certifying it as fully qualified and ready for deployment.

While deployed, MSD 25 will report to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet for a variety of force protection taskings, which may include protecting Iraqi oil platforms and other high value assets.

(source) The MSD 25 team is part of the Navy's new Martime Protection Force Command (MFPC):

...The [MFP] command’s mission is to provide forces to protect Navy units and other assets that are outside secure installations or facilities. Elements of the new command are protecting oil terminals in Iraq, for example, and it will be responsible for the security and protection of Navy ships that drop anchor at some foreign ports.

Included in the MFPC are some diverse units that it makes sense to tie together:

Capt. Mark E. Kosnik, selected to be the first commander of MFPC, will direct the force structure of existing naval coastal warfare squadrons (including inshore boat units and mobile inshore undersea warfare units), explosive ordnance disposal units, expeditionary salvage (diver) units and the recently created Navy Mobile Security Force detachments. With a budget of approximately $52 million, he will supervise the training of more than 5,000 naval coastal warfare sailors and 2,000 sailors from explosive ordinance disposal and expeditionary salvage units.

MFPC is not intended to provide security at installations that have resident security forces. “Expeditionary” and “mobility” are key descriptors of the command’s mission.

“When there is a requirement for a high-value asset [to be deployed] outside the traditional security of installations, then it’s our mission to provide protection,” Kosnik told Sea Power.

The force to be protected could be a ship — such as a Military Sealift Command logistics ship in a foreign port not frequented by Navy visits — or a high-value aircraft — such as an executive transport carrying VIPs or a P-3 surveillance aircraft — staged to a remote airfield with no resident security forces. Protection of maritime facilities such as Iraqi oil terminals from sabotage and direct attack also fall within the mission of mobile security force detachments and naval coastal warfare squadrons.

As an old MIUWU (Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit) sailor, I like the concept...especially as it points toward the future:

Kosnik said the implementation of the Sea Basing concept, a part of the Sea Power 21 strategy of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark, is likely to increase the role of MFPC forces. Mobile sea bases, such as prepositioning ships operating away from established ports, may require more protection from hostile small craft and divers.

MFPC will be working with Fleet Forces Command in the latter’s active-reserve integration studies. At issue is the possibility of shifting the naval coastal warfare squadrons from the reserve to the active force structure, Kosnik said.

MIUWU/Coastal Warfare has long been mostly a reserve function, where it makes sense to have a core of people ready to deploy and the units were among the Navy Surface Reserve's prime units. Many reserve admirals came up through the MIUWU chain...I'm not sure it will be an attractive career path for active duty personnel, but given an expanded mission, perhaps there is too much demand for it to remain mostly reserve...Navy League Sea Power

Update: Here's a picture of the TSQ-108 Radar Sonar Surveillance System used by MIUWU units in performing shore based littoral force protection work:



During Desert Storm the MIUWU community worked with the US Coast Guard's Port Security Units as the PSU's "eyes" to compliment the PSU "teeth". More info on the PSUs here. The PSU used "Raider" boats armed with machine guns to perform their duties. A typical Raider boat looked like this:



The close cooperation between the MUIWU and the PSU in Desert Storm included co-location:



However, the Navy has now developed its own boat units, the Inshore Boat Units (IBU) which are also part of the MFPC.

Maritime Force Protection Command site

More info on Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal here.

Flawed Federalism in Iraq?

I guess that trying to shape a new democracy in any country would be hard, but this gentleman, writing for AlJazeera finds some differences between the US style democracy and local government based on location and the tribal/ethnic system in Iraq inconsistent as set out in Why federalism in Iraq is inconsistent.

While the occupation remains to be the most blatant and destructive force in the country today, the national assembly had instead focused on dividing Iraq into a federal state.

Now, let me see. There was this dictator with a secret police force and a "unified" government that killed both Kurds and Shia Muslims (among others), but now that the "occupiers" have tossed that guy out and a democracy is being started, Mr. Saud is suddenly concerned that the form of the government is less than ideal? Hmmm. Here's my suggestion. Get a government formed. Have the government ask the US to leave. When they leave (which they will) go about your business and complain about something else. Which will probably be that the US withdrew too soon, etc, etc.

Kosovo: Bye Bye Serbia?

Kosovo wants to split from Serbia and makes few bones about it. Its news draft constitution promises to help it on its way as reported here.

Leaders in Kosovo are considering a unilateral split from Serbia, in case the United Nations, US and Europe fail to achieve a diplomatic settlement this year over the breakaway province's political status.

Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovo's president, has told the Financial Times that he is drafting a constitution envisaging the province of 2m people as a newly independent state in the Balkans.

"We are drafting our own constitution, as is our right, and in due time it will be presented to the parliament, which will either vote on it or send it for a referendum," Mr Rugova said, describing the document as "a constitution for a democratic state drawing on Kosovo's historical traditions, Jefferson, the unifying principle of independence and other European constitutions".

By announcing such plans Mr Rugova can only succeed in widening the political gulf between Belgrade and Pristina, the provincial capital. Both sides' positions already are hardening as they jockey for position before high level talks, possibly this year, to determine Kosovo's future.

No kidding.

Update: A Kosovo video that captures the essence of the UN peacekeeping effort is linked to here. And I thought I was the only one who was singing that tune...

Navy Technology on Show in Singpore

Got a product ready for a fast developing area of the world that has a lot of water, then you should be at this exposition as reported by Channelnewsasia.com

Organisers say the region will, in the next decade, overtake America and Europe in buying new warships.

And countries are expected to spend a total of US$120 billion, making the region the next biggest market for manufacturers of maritime technologies and products.

"Fake but plausible" Andrew Sullivan lowers his bar even further

I abandoned reading Mr. Sullivan some time ago, but his attempt to defend Newsweek for its completely unsupported story on the alleged Koran flushing incident (best place to start reading about it is over at Instapundit) is dismissed in brief fashion by NZ Bear in his post The Truth Laid Bear: Fake But Accurate is So 2004. I doubt if Mr. Sullivan understands how wrong-headed his defense is, but I ask you to consider how many things could be written about anyone or anything that are "Fake but plausible" ... I have a few in mind about Mr. Sullivan...

Oh yes, "Newsweek lied, people die" (see my earlier post on the riots in Afghanistan here).

Boo on Dr. Dean, Good on Rep. Frank

Read this and see the difference between an irresponsible mouthy jerk (that's you, Dr. Dean) and an experienced politcian who understands that disagreement does not mean that anything goes in political speech. Thank you Rep. Frank for trying to get your party off the reckless course on which Dr. Dean is headed.

Don't Miss Blog Read: Winds of War

Every Monday and Thursday the group blog Winds of Change publishes the Winds of War, a round up of information from all around the Global War on Terrorism. It's a great place to get up to speed on things not often covered by the big media (and I not just saying because they are kind enough to occasionally link to my blog, either).

You want coverage of Uzbekistan or on the now withdrawn report of allegations of Americans flushing the Koran? Thailand bombs and much more. It's all assembled there for you. Head on over.

Pakistan, U.S. Ships Aid Stranded Mariners from Disabled Vessel

The Maritime Security Patrol continues to pay dividends: Pakistan, U.S. Ships Aid Stranded Mariners from Disabled Vessel

MSO sets the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment and complements the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO denies international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

Self-Defence Weapons in Malacca Strait?

The China Post says an upcoming meeting between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will touch on ships passing through the Malacca Strait being able to arm themselves for defence against pirates as reported here.

Nations along the Malacca Strait will discuss whether to allow commercial vessels to carry weapons to protect themselves against pirates in the key shipping lane, news reports said Sunday.
The foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will discuss the issue at a meeting on Indonesia's Batam island next month, the reports said. They said the date of the meeting had not yet been fixed.

A guideline on the carrying of arms is crucial because of recent reports of weapons aboard some commercial ships in the strait, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying.

"Their reason for being armed is to guard the goods against pirates," The Star newspaper quoted him as saying. "This is a worrying trend that needs to be checked before it becomes a problem."

Was he talking about the piracy or the possibility of armed ships?

Zarqawi seriously wounded?

The Times of London reportsBin Laden henchman "seriously wounded". After reading the article, I am somewhat in doubt:

The doctor told an Iraqi reporter in the western city of Ramadi that Zarqawi was bleeding heavily when he was brought into hospital on Wednesday. After treating his wounds the doctor tried to persuade him to remain, but the Jordanian-born terrorist’s minders drove him away.

The claim was supported yesterday by a senior commander in the Iraqi resistance who had been to Ramadi to investigate the report. The doctor, who refused to specify the nature of the wounds and asked not to be identified, was detained by the Americans on Friday for questioning, residents said.

What the heck is "senior commander in the Iraqi resistance" (who are they resisting - their own elected government?) and why was he "investigating" the report?

If this is true, oh my: AZ Border Patrol told not to make Minutemen look good

The Washington Times reports Border Patrol told to stand down in Arizona

U.S. Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to arrest illegal aliens along the section of the Arizona border where protesters patrolled last month because an increase in apprehensions there would prove the effectiveness of Minuteman volunteers, The Washington Times has learned.

Now, that's a serious charge and exceptionally shocking to me.

I note that the Chief of the BP says it ain't so:

Border Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar at the agency's Washington headquarters called the accusations "outright wrong," saying that supervisors at the Naco station had not blocked agents from making arrests and that the station's 350 agents were being "supported in carrying out" their duties.
"Border Patrol agents are the front line of defense against terrorism," Chief Aguilar said, adding that the 11,000 agents nationwide are "meeting that challenge, head-on ... as daunting a task as that may sound."

Well, he gets it right about the agents being on the front line in the GWOT...let's hope he's right about the rest of it.

Coalbed Methane

Looking for ways to increase our energy supplies? Here's one approach you might not have heard too much about, Coalbed Methane:

"Large amounts of methane-rich gas are generated and stored in coalbeds. Recently, commercial production of coalbed methane has been undertaken in the United States, and this development will be expanded to other countries. The U.S. Geological Survey is engaged in detailed studies of the controls, distribution, and recoverable resources of coalbed methane, particularly as they affect the release of gas and water to the environment."
Dudley Rice, U.S. Geological Survey

Of course, no energy source is without its problems:

Major resources of coalbed methane are associated with immense amounts of coal, but are accompanied by significant environmental challenges.

Coalbed methane can be used as an energy source that is environmentally more acceptable than mining and combustion of coal. It can partly replace coal as a fossil energy source, and it sometimes occurs where other conventional resources of oil and gas are not present. Coalbed methane accumulations are widespread, commonly basinwide, and are characterized by large in-place resources. Although most wells will encounter gas in these widespread accumulations, production rates will be highly variable, even within a small area, because of the heterogeneous nature of coalbeds. The in-place coalbed methane resources of the United States are estimated to be more than 700 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), but less than 100 Tcf may be economically recoverable. Worldwide estimates of in-place resources are as much as 7,500 Tcf, but this number is uncertain because of the scarcity of basic data on coal resources and gas content. Basin-wide studies are needed to determine controls of the occurrence, availability, and recoverability of coalbed methane in the United States and other countries that need clean energy resources. Underground coal-mining areas, such as the Appalachian basin, should be emphasized because of the need to reduce atmospheric methane emissions. Most previous exploration and research efforts have been in the San Juan basin and the Black Warrior basin. However, since each coal-bearing basin has unique attributes, coalbed methane issues need to be studied separately in each basin.

The recoverable reserves are estimated to be about a 5 year supply of gas at current consumption levels.

Update: Our Canadian neighbors have some, too, but challenges abound:

Can producers eventually overcome the CBM challenges in B.C.? "I have no idea," said Michael Gatens chairman of the Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas. That terse comment accentuates industry doubts surrounding CBM in B.C., which has one of the most outspoken environmental lobbies in North America.

"Unconventional gas is a big, powerful resource," said Gatens,a geologist by profession. "You know the gas is there, generally, but you don't know if you can get it out." Noting CBM development in B.C. is still in its early stages, he suggested much work is necessary before the sector is up and running well.

"There's not nearly as much resource in British Columbia as there is in Alberta," said Gatens, whose Calgary-based firm MGV Energy Inc. has achieved commercial success in B.C.'s neighbouring province.

B.C.'s CBM is much more technologically challenging because it's distributed in a much different fashion. In Alberta, one type of coal - in the Horseshoe Canyon formation - is available in one large regional play on accessible terrain. Alberta CBM plays have access to an established oil and gas infrastructure and surface landowners are more knowledgeable of the industry. In B.C., by contrast, the coal is in mountainous areas and is localized in areas like Merritt, Princeton, Hat Creek and Vancouver Island. There's little oil and gas development outside of northeastern B.C., and surface landowners are inexperienced in petroleum development.

Law of the Sea is falling short

Interesting letter to the editor in the Bangkok Post Law of the Sea is falling short in light of the civilian armed escort issue:

As the Malacca strait is used for international navigation and has been subject to disturbance from pirates for some time, Malaysia and the other states bordering the strait should exercise their jurisdiction according to the spirit embodied in article 100 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: Duty to cooperate in the repression of piracy.

In the spirit of international cooperation, the armed escorts licensed by Singapore or other states for the purpose of repressing piracy should be considered as ships authorised to that effect under article 107 of the same convention, which reads: "A seizure on account of piracy may be carried out only by warships or military aircraft, or other ships or aircraft clearly marked and identifiable as being on government service and authorised to that effect."

The author identifies himself as lecturer in International Law.

More on the armed escort issue here and here with this interesting twist on the various governmental concerns about the escort ships

Glenn Defense Marine’s Weatherford also insisted his company’s armed vessels were a legitimate tool for vulnerable ships to protect themselves.
“We are no different to an armed security service protecting a building on land in any country,” Weatherford said.
And despite the concerns surrounding the vessels, the IMO, BARS and Glenn Defense Marine all report that there have not yet been any armed conflicts between the patrol vessels and pirates.

Yemen coastal risk remains high

Interesting report from theYemen Times

However, this is spread over 1,100 nautical miles of coastline. Hodeidah and Aden are prioritized and are district coast guard bases, whereas the coast guard base at Mukalla is not yet completed and the port is less well protected.

Consequently, the risk of terrorist attack in waters around Mukalla is higher than at the other two ports.

However, despite these security measures, the risk of terrorist attack in the immediate vicinity of Aden or Hodeidah ports is still moderate to high, and Aden has not regained the status of a US Navy refuelling port, lost after the Cole attack.

Indeed, the ability of any coast guard to ensure that determined small craft cannot approach major vessels is limited, particularly outside of the immediate port area, but the coast guard will nevertheless be able to deter some hostile boats with the threat of deadly force.

Waters outside the immediate vicinity of Aden and Hodeidah have little protection, and, far from the mainland, Yemen’s coast guard faces the difficult job of patrolling territorial waters.

USS Mustin Rescues 27 in Persian Gulf

Operating in the Northern Persian Gulf, USS Mustin (DDG-89) rescued 27 people from M/V Olympias after it suffered engine room fire as reported here:

Mustin, currently conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the area, responded immediately after receiving word from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the vessel in distress. Vinson is also deployed to the Northern Persian Gulf conducting MSO and providing air support for multinational forces on the ground in Iraq. The crew of Olympias notified Vinson of the fire via bridge-to-bridge radio.

When crew members from the destroyer arrived on scene, they found the motor vessel’s superstructure burning and 27 people from Olympias jumping into a life raft. Mustin Sailors safely transferred 25 Indians, a Nepalese and one Sri Lankan to the destroyer’s rigid-hull inflatable boats, or RHIBs.

Those aboard the Panamanian-flagged vessel boarded the U.S. Navy ship, where they received food, clothing and medical attention. Navy corpsmen report that all passengers are in good health.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

USS Mustin



Update: More on Maritime Security Ops here with a news release on a Pakistani ship patrolling the Gulf of Oman, and here on another rescue by coalition navy forces of 89 people in the Gulf of Aden:

U.S. Navy ships rescued 94 people after the vessel they were in capsized in the waters of the Gulf of Aden 25 miles off the coast of Somalia at approximately 3:45 p.m. local time Friday. Five of the 94 pulled from the water were pronounced dead on scene.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), coastal patrol ships USS Firebolt (PC 10) and USS Typhoon (PC 5), and the German frigate FGS Karlsruhe (F 212), who were in the vicinity conducting maritime security operations (MSO), are rendering assistance.


USS Firebolt

Karlsruhe initially conducted a routine query of the vessel, which appeared to be a dhow with approximately 35 people on deck. The vessel did not respond, and both Karlsruhe and Firebolt closed to investigate.

As Firebolt approached the dhow to take a closer look, it reported that there were approximately 100 people aboard, and that the vessel did not appear to be seaworthy and was taking on water. Firebolt, a 170-ft patrol craft, requested assistance with conducting an evacuation of the vessel and began passing out life vests. Typhoon was directed to close the vessel and provide Firebolt assistance with transferring passengers to both U.S. ships. In the process of providing assistance to the passengers, the vessel capsized and sank.

All but five of the passengers and crew, who were pulled from the water, were transferred to Normandy for additional care. The five remaining behind aboard Firebolt received injuries that precluded any immediate attempt to affect a transfer to Normandy and are receiving care from medically trained U.S. Navy personnel.

The master of the vessel claims that there were 135 people aboard and coalition maritime forces, including SH-60 Seahawk helicopter aerial reconnaissance support from Normandy, are conducting a search for the unaccounted for personnel. The circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation, and final disposition of the passengers and crew has yet to be determined.

Somalia Pirates Release Crew of LPG Tanker

Arab Times reports that the 17 crew members of a Panamanian flagged LPG tanker taken hostage about two weeks ago have been released here.

The crew of an LPG carrier taken hostage by armed pirates off Somalia were freed unharmed on Wednesday after a nail-biting two-week ordeal, an ocean crime watchdog said.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said 17 crew of an unnamed Panamanian-flagged Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier were freed early on Wednesday together with the vessel after a deal was struck during sensitive negotiations.

"We believe there was a ransom demand, but we don't know if it was paid," said Jayant Abhyankar, deputy director of the IMB told Reuters.

Somalian waters have a fearsome reputation, and have been classed as some of the world's most dangerous by the IMB in the past.

"The whole Somalian situation has been quiet for about 18 months and it has now suddenly flared up again. In the last three months there have been three serious attacks, with more reported in the last few days," he said.

The IMB says that since late March pirates have menaced and attacked ships with guns and grenades.

The LPG carrier was hijacked on April 10, some 135 miles off the east coast of Somalia by a gang in speedboats.

It was later taken into Somalian territorial waters where it remained anchored off the coast.

The IMB said the attack was particularly worrying because the vessel was lured into a trap by using a distress flare way off the Somalian coast...

Abhyankar said he did not know whether militia known to be active along the coast were responsible, though he ruled out any links to terrorism.

The IMB said a U.S. Navy warship was anchored close to the vessel throughout the ordeal and escorted the carrier into Gulf waters on Wednesday.

Earlier reports on the seizure of the ship and crew here, here, and here.

Update: Seems this is not new news (better check my news filters) Rantburg had it earlier. Much earlier.

North Korea Says Nuclear Rods Pulled from Reactor

This means that North Korea is feeling left out again: North Korea Says Nuclear Rods Pulled from Reactor

"Necessary measures to bolster its nuclear arsenal" is how North Korea referred to the moves in a statement attributed to an unnamed Foreign Ministry official and carried over the official news service.

The defiant announcement from Pyongyang, the capital, is sure to add to an aura of crisis building around the North's weapons program.

The 8,000 fuel rods that North Korea says it removed from a 5-megawatt reactor at its main nuclear compound in Yongbyon could produce enough plutonium for three nuclear bombs.

South Korea, which has otherwise reacted calmly to recent provocative moves by North Korea, expressed alarm today at the latest development.

Meanwhile, there are still a lot of hungry people in the DPRK.

Indonesia's navy to guard oil, gas projects in Malacca Straits

The Jakarta Post says Indonesia's navy to guard oil, gas projects in Malacca Straits

ndonesia's navy will guard offshore crude oil and natural gas projects in the country's waters and the Malacca Straits from possible terrorist attacks and help ensure ships don't damage underwater pipelines.

Kardaya Warnika, vice chairman of Indonesia's state oil and gas regulator BPMigas, on Wednesday signed a five-year agreement with the country's navy on behalf of oil companies operating in Indonesia, he told reporters.
...
Recent armed attack on vessels, including a 2 million barrel oil tanker and methane-gas tanker whose captain and chief engineer were kidnapped, have raised concern that pirates may have returned to the area after a two-month lull following the Dec. 26 tsunami.

"In the first stage the navy will help secure the area with most shipping traffic between the Batam island and Singapore," said Warnika. "We have gas and oil pipelines in the area so the navy will help prevent ships from damaging pipelines."

If this keeps up, there won't be room in the straits for pirates.

Richard Clarke on LNG facilities and terrorists

Richard Clarke is back, frightening Americans again, this time concerning LNG as reported here.

A national security expert has said defenders probably can’t prevent a determined terrorist strike on a liquefied natural gas terminal similar to the proposed BP Crown Landing site on the Delaware River.

Richard A. Clarke, a former senior adviser to both the Bush and Clinton administrations, took the position after leading a consultant review of the KeySpan LNG’s proposed import terminal expansion in Providence, R.I...

Clarke’s group concluded that terrorists could “relatively easily” secure weapons needed for an effective attack on an LNG tanker or terminal, and said an attack runs “a high risk of generating catastrophic damage.”

Suppose the "leader" of the study had been Hector Heathcote or some other unknown, would it have received the same coverage? What is the group Mr. Clarke represents and was it an independent review of the risks of an LNG facility or a NIMBY group wanting to posit reasons to oppose LNG.

My own review of a substantial amount of literature on LNG causes me to believe that LNG tankers are not particularly vulnerable to terrorist attack. See my earlier post on this conclusion here. There are many reasons for this- including that LNG is not kept under pressure. which lessens the probability of a tank rupture spewing gas under pressure into the air...

That's not to say it couldn't happen, but then again terrorists could attack your neighborhood gas station and there might be a "high risk of catastrophic damage" from that, too, under a "worst case" scenario.

My bet is that Mr. Clarke is funded by a group in opposition to the facility.

Hat tip: The CounterTerrorism Blog

Riots over US Koran 'desecration'

If you need proof that any negative news will do , try the BBC: Riots over US Koran 'desecration'. Now suppose that Americans had "rioted" over the desecration of the US flag by people in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Italy, France, etc. How many rioters would it take to get this kind of news coverage?

What kind of "students" are these? From the local extremist religious school? What if the report had stated that "free speech rallies turned violent today when..."?

And "Death to America"? About time for a new slogan isn't it?

Piracy Report: Latest (May10) ICC CCS

The ICC CSS has released the latest Piracy report for the period 3 May-10 May here. Highlights: lots of robbers boarding ships at anchorage in India, Indonesia, Tanzania, Haiti for small thefts. For attempted efforts made while ships were underway, the following were reported:

-05.05.2005 at 2320 LT in position 21:16N - 091:31E, 60 nm SSW of Chittagong, Bangladesh. One fishing boat approached a tanker underway. Boat came close to stbd quarter and persons inside attempted to board. Master took evasive action and boarding was averted.

-04.05.2005 at 2025 UTC in position 01:46.3S - 117:07.2E, Makassar straits, Indonesia. One pirate in a speedboat boarded a bulk carrier underway using hooks attached to a rope. D/O raised alarm, sounded ship's whistle, crew mustered and activated fire hoses. Pirate jumped overboard and escaped in speedboat waiting with four accomplices.

-04.05.2005 at 2255 LT in position 01:23.07S - 117:06.57E, Makassar straits, Indonesia. Pirates in a six metre blue and black hull coloured speed boat attempted to board at stern of a tanker underway. Master raised alarm and took evasive manoeuvres. Pirates followed the vessel for 15 mins and moved away.

-03.05.2005 at 0700 LT at Tg. Priok outer roads, Indonesia.
Six boats approached a ship and six robbers armed with steel bars from two boats boarded. A further two boats remained nearby whilst remaining two boats approached another ship in vicinity. Alert crew mustered and robbers left empty handed. Attempts to contact port authorities and patrol boats by VHF received no response.

Update May12: The BBC has noticed piracy in the Malacca Strait here:

But since the end of February, experts say there has been a notable increase of activity in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.

There have actually been fewer attacks, but they appear to be larger in scale and more organised, with a much greater show of force.

"Attacks are running at one or two a week down from six to 10, but they are all on a larger scale and more professional," said Dominic Armstrong, head of research and intelligence at the security firm Aegis Defence Services.
The new pirates appear more organised and better armed.

They often attack in larger formations, sometimes with flotillas of up to seven boats.

Some vessels have electric fences or high pressure hoses to try and fend off pirates, but without these a simple grappling hook is often enough to get on board the relatively lightly crewed ships.

The crew are not usually armed because vessels have to travel through so many different territorial waters where weapons are not allowed to be carried.

However, a new service is emerging which offers armed escort boats to vessels willing to pay the steep fees.

Yes, well, the armed escort boats are not popular with the local nations as noted here. But wait, there's more:

There are also fears that the Malacca Strait could be the target of terrorists hoping to paralyse global trade - perhaps by seizing an oil tanker and using it as a vast explosive device, in the same way planes were used in the 11 September attacks on the US.

Between a quarter and a third of the world's sea trade goes through the strait. Over the weekend, US Navy Seals were practising anti-terrorism drills with Indonesian forces.

This included practising boarding vessels and fighting pirates as part of an attempt to improve co-operation and prevent an attack.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick offered to help do more to ensure security in the Malacca Strait in a visit to Malaysia on Monday.

Malacca Strait Littoral Countries to Meet on Concerns over Commercial Armed Escort Ships

Concern over armed escort ships in Straits of Malacca

Malaysia will meet Singapore and Indonesia over the presence of well-armed civilian ships in the Straits of Malacca.

“These ships are sailing under the guise of providing protection to other vessels in the straits.

“These mercenary ships are often well-armed,” said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

“We cannot accept the presence of these ships in the straits as they may be taking over the role of our navy and maritime enforcement agencies,” he told reporters after Timor Leste Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Dr Jose Ramos Horta paid him a courtesy call at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.

and

Asked if the meeting was initiated in the wake of pirate attacks in recent weeks, Syed Hamid said it was planned to provide optimum security at the world’s busiest waterway.

(source

Private armed escorts have been the subject of concern for some time. From a Singapore Angle posted this report on April 7 and included this photo of a security boat:



Additional info here and here.

Update: Probably a good place to remind people that "armed merchantmen" were common in the days of sailing ships.

The Galleon was the ship of the line for its day. However it served the dual purpose of being both a Man-O-War and also a treasure/merchant ship. In the Golden age of Piracy, Spain has the most fortified Galleons in the water. A noticeable design of the galleon was that its hull sloped inward as it rose, tapering to a narrow top deck compared with the ship's beam at the water line. The purpose for this design was to concentrate the weight of its cannons close to the centerline of the ship in an attempt to improve stability. The galleon was heavily armed. It typically carried 74 guns, with 36 each of these being mounted on either side of the ship. The two remaining guns were mounted aft. This does not include the numerous swing guns mounted along the rail that were used to repel borders.

(source)

Refinery outage causes price concerns

Crude oil and gasoline in New York rose after ConocoPhillips said that its Alliance refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, had a power failure earlier today.

ConocoPhillips, the largest U.S. refiner, said the 250,000 barrel-a-day facility lost power at 6 a.m. local time. U.S. refiners boost gasoline output in May before the peak summer demand. Refineries operated at 92.5 percent of capacity last week, up 0.8 percentage point from the week before, according to the median of responses in a Bloomberg survey.

``We are just a refinery outage away from a major rise in prices,'' said John Kilduff, senior vice president of energy risk management with Fimat USA Inc. in New York. ``We can't afford for any of the country's refineries to be down for a day right now. We are going into gasoline season and distillate supplies are low.''

as reported here.

Freedom = First Littoral Combat Ship

Global Security reports the US Navy's first Littoral Combat Ship has been named "Freedom" as set out here.

Can anything good come from this? Somali warlords 'to merge forces'

BBC News reports Somali warlords 'to merge forces'

The most powerful warlords in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have agreed to set up a united force, which they say will restore security to the lawless city.

They say they will withdraw some of their battle wagons and gunmen from the city, to make it safer.

The BBC's Hassan Barise, just back from Mogadishu, says this is a big step forward in the peace process.

However, some rival members of the exiled government fear that the new force could be used against them.

The Mogadishu warlords are opposed to a peacekeeping force.
...
Like the entire country, Mogadishu is divided between rival warlords, whose gunmen can be seen operating roadblocks on many street corners, where they demand money from commercial vehicles.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991, when Siad Barre was ousted.

A government has been formed in neighbouring Kenya but it says Mogadishu is too dangerous for it to return to.

Hmmm.

Malaysia and US renew defence pact, discuss Malacca Strait security

Headline reads Malaysia and US renew defence pact, discuss Malacca Strait security

"Najib said Zoellick had offered help which would not undermine the sovereignty of the three states bordering the busy shipping lane -- Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Malaysia has in the past rejected suggestions that the US or other foreign navies be allowed to help patrol the strait.

'It (the United States) wants to help out without affecting the sovereignty of the states, and the US recognises that they do not want to undermine the principles of sovereignty in this area,' Najib was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

'In what way and what areas they want to help is for the US to consider,' he said."

Works for me.

Charter School Makes Top 10 High School in U.S. List

Raleigh Charter High School, as its name states is a charter high school and it has made the Newsweek "Best High Schools in America" list at number 9 as reported here (Update: Registration required).

RCHS was founded as an alternative public college prep level school. Its students apply for admission, but the admission process is based on a lottery with names being drawn from the total pool of applicants. Each grade level has about 125 students, with a total student body of around 500.

Four Triangle schools are on Newsweek magazine's 2005 list of the top 100 public high schools in the country.
Raleigh Charter High School, which ranked ninth, is the only school in North Carolina to make the top 10.

Other local schools in the top 100 are East Chapel Hill High School (38th), Enloe High School (52nd) and Chapel Hill High School (74th). Nine North Carolina schools placed in the top 100.

This is the first year Raleigh Charter, which opened in 1999 and graduated its first class in 2002, has made the list. Shirley Usry, president of the school's Parent, Administrator, Student, Teacher Association, said its faculty encourages students to push themselves.

"They try to challenge the students maybe more than they think they can do," she said. "They keep them busy and hopping."

RCHS website is here.

Cool.


Update: The Newsweek info is here.

A question answered

In addition to the cruisers, destroyers and aircraft carriers, the US Navy operates a fleet of ships that support its combat forces. Most of these support vessels fall under the command of the Military Sealift Command (which is turn belongs to the Transportation Command or TransCom). Among these ships are fleet oilers, which carry the fuel the fleet needs for operations and which can be transferred at sea during replenishment at sea operations. These are vitally important ships, as are other MSC vessels. How do these large but normally unarmed vessels protect themselves from attack by small boats operated by terrorists? At least part of the answer is provided by this following photo and caption (from the DOD War of Terrorism site):

U.S. Navy Seaman Matthew Ramer looks through binoculars for small boats while crossing the Strait of Hormuz aboard USNS Walter S. Diehl, May 5, 2005. Ramer is a master at arms assigned to Mobile Security Detachment 24, aboard the Diehl, which is currently in the Arabian Gulf conducting refueling operations with the fleet in support of anti-terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa region. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Ansarov

USNS Walter S. Diehl

Info on USNS Walter S. Diehl here and on the Henry J. Kaiser class of fleet oilers here.

Update: Some background info on Mobile Security Detachments here.

U.S. Navy SEALs in Indonesia anti-terrorism drill - Yahoo! News

Hmmm. This: U.S. Navy SEALs in Indonesia anti-terrorism drill is probably a good thing.

U.S. Navy Seals and Indonesian forces are practicing anti-terrorism drills, including boarding ships and battling pirates, in a palm-fringed string of resort islands near Jakarta, officials said on Monday. The program, aimed at improving the ability of the two nations' forces to work closely, was part of a broader effort by Washington to boost regional security, a U.S. official said.

Pirate-Terrorist Problem Summary

Reasonable summary of the problem with pirates and terrorists at sea from the SF Chronicle: Pirates preying on vessels could instead be terrorists / Seagoing raiders thrive in areas of lax enforcement

Pirates roam the seas wherever governments and law enforcement are weak. Above all, this occurs around Indonesia, which has more than 17,000 islands and suffered more than a quarter of the 325 reported pirate attacks in the world last year (many were not officially reported).

The southwestern shore of the Strait of Malacca is the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the site of the earthquake that set off the devastating tsunami in December. According to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre, the Strait of Malacca is "the most dangerous passage" in the world.

Security for the Malacca Strait begins at home

Admiral Fallon the new US Pacific Command head, has it exactly right as set out in the New Straits Times

SECURING the vital shipping lane of the Malacca Straits is the "foremost" responsibility of the littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, said the newly-appointed Chief of the United States Pacific Command Admiral William Fallon.
He said the three countries were capable of protecting the waterway without the help of the US. His remarks are in contrast to a suggestion by his predecessor that the US deploy troops to help patrol the shipping lane.

"The straits are important and I believe, first and foremost, the responsibility for security of the straits belongs to the nations that occupy the littoral lands and I believe that’s exactly the way it should be," Admiral Fallon said at a Press conference here yesterday.

"I believe the nations of the region can do a very adequate job in taking care of this without our help. I would encourage them to continue to do so," Fallon added.

Last year, Malaysia and Indonesia protested when the former Pacific Commander, Thomas Fargo, unilaterally suggested putting US special operation forces on high speed vessels to safeguard the Straits of Malacca from potential terrorists attacks and to prevent the movement of cargo containing weapons of mass destruction.

Indonesia’s armed forces chief General Endriartono Sutarto yesterday said only the littoral states would deploy troops to protect the sea lane.

Blame shared for the USS San Francisco submarine disaster?

According to the NYT, Navy Outlines Errors Preceding Fatal Submarine Crash. Let's see: (1) sub's CO (2) Navigator (3) navigation teams all get blamed for using the same charts everyone else was using and for not taking precautions when within 3 miles of a "potential"hazard and relying on a routing office assertion that the route had been used before.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the crash was that the mountain had never been identified on any navigation charts. But a potential hazard was noted on most charts about three miles from the crash site, and that should have provided enough warning to skirt the area, the report said.

However, neither the submarine's crew nor the officers onshore who set its basic routing studied those charts. Investigators found that they relied instead on the one chart that did not show the danger zone, which gave them the impression that the submarine's track was clear.

Unusual? I'd say so. Navigationally, and speaking as a former navigator, I would have thought a route 6000 yards (3 nautical miles) from a "potential" hazard was a pretty safe distance unless I had some pretty good reason to feel otherwise. And if I was told by the routing office that the route had been used before, my confidence in the safety of the route would have increased.

The submarine's captain and six other crew members were relieved of duty after the accident. Under Navy rules, they had the primary responsibility for keeping the vessel safe.

Navy officials said the crew should have cross-checked all the charts for the area and taken more frequent depth soundings.

These guys were screwed by 20-20 hindsight along the lines of "Well they hit the mountain, therefore it was their fault."

Bubblehead over at The Stupid Shall be Punished has this take on the mess and this on the Commander Pacific Fleet report, including a link. In fact, Bubblehead has been all over this incident and is worth roaming through if you have the time and interest.

Update: The Commander Seventh Fleet endorsement on the Command Investigation into the grounding contains the following:

...The command investigation concluded that failure to properly develop and execute a safe and effective voyage plan for submerged transit caused the grounding. After reviewing the investigation, I assert that responsibility and accountability reside with USS SAN FRANCISCO's command leadership and navigation team. Given the circumstances prior to and at the time of the grounding, I find it difficult to conclude absolutely that grounding could have been avoided. It is absolutely clear to me, however, if command leadership and the navigation team followed basic specified procedures and exercised prudent navigation practices, they would have been aware of imminent navigation hazards and therefore compelled to operate the ship more prudently. At a minimum, the grounding would not have been as severe.
b. The seamount USS SAN FRANCISCO hit was not annotated on Chart E2202, the chart being used for navigation when the ship grounded. Chart E2202 did not denote a navigation hazard in close proximity to the intended ship's track and grounding location. Other valid, readily available navigation charts in USS SAN FRANCISCO's inventory--including Chart 81023-- displayed a navigation hazard located in the vicinity of the Caroline Islands near USS San FRANCISCO's SUBNOTE track and intended ship's track...USS SAN FRANCISCO's navigation leadership/personnel did not adequately review other charts. Of note, Chart 81023 contains a "discolored water" site (surrounded by a "danger line") 2.5 nautical miles (NM) south of USS SAN FRANCISCO's intended track and 2.0-2.8 NM from the grounding location. The light blue coloring of this "discolored water" reflects a navigation hazard at 20 meters (66 feet) depth or less, leading one to conclude that a larger navigation hazard exists in deeper water, particularly at 525 feet.

c. The command investigation examined and assessed USS SAN FRANCISCO's voyage planning, navigation watchstanding practices, casualty and medical response after the grounding, and navigation training programs. Parent squadron (COMSUBRON FIFTEEN) support; SUBNOTE generation; Submarine Force navigation standards; inspections and evaluations; Submarine Force navigation pipeline training; and Navy's (National Geospatial Agency) navigation chart generation, distribution and management directives were also reviewed. While opportunities exist for systemic improvement in function (formal and on-the-job training) and administrative (directives and inspections) areas external to USS SAN FRANCISCO, there were no factors beyond the ship's control which caused , or dramatically affected, circumstances that led to the grounding.

It goes on to point out that under the Navy system, the CO virtually always has to accept both responsibility and accountability when things go bad.

Update2: As I read through the report, I find that in "Basic 040 to 059", paragraph 282, the ship grounded at 07 degrees 44.7' N, 147 degrees 11.6'E. Based on my rough out the position, the grounding occurred at the approximate location of the red burst on the map below:



UPDATE: Thanks to the submariners who comment below. My "eyeball" approximation in the map above is off, as Bubblehead suggests by some distance. A corrected location appears in the map below which is now accompanied by the chart I have appropriated from NavET over at Lubber's Line. Thanks for the corrections and the comments, gentlemen. I was a lot more careful with my destoyer navigation...(some of which passed through these same waters). The yellow blob is a corrected guesstimate area.



NavET's chart work (which shows the "discolored water"on chart 81023):



Update2: As "Anonymous" points out in the comments, pararaph 74 on page 121 of the report is worth reproducing:

74.(U) The omission of the reported navigation hazard on the E2202 directly contributed to the grounding in that it is reasonable to assume that had the feature been added to the E2202, it would have influenced the CSG-7 SUBNOTE generation process and provided the SAN FRANCISCO's navigation team another opportunity to identify the navigation hazard near their track. (references omitted)

Whacking the NYT on China

Bill Rice at By Dawn's Early Light poses the question: Does the NYT Editorial Board read the NYT?

After careful examination, he discovers that they apparently do not. Good read.

BBC: The role of religion in the Deep South (not everyone is as crazy as we thought)

Interesting idea. Take British reporter and send him to Mississippi (the "most religious state in the US") and have him do a quasi-sociological and anthropological study of the natives of that mysterious land and report back as Justin Webb does in The role of religion in the Deep South

The state is mostly rural and poor, shacks and mobile homes nestling under the canopy of the forest, rusting pick-up trucks bouncing down dirt roads.

And churches, everywhere churches.
...
Pristine Catholic cathedrals with long, pointy towers, cool and confident looking with wide lawns and copious car parks. Baptist houses of worship, with those vaguely threatening messages on billboards outside - Jesus is coming - where are you going?
...
There are more churches per head of population in Mississippi than in any other state and, historically, you could argue, more racial prejudice, more unchristian behaviour.

I came to Mississippi assuming, in a European secular sort of way, that holy scripture, which once led Mississippi whites down the road of bigotry, was unlikely to be the state's saviour today.

Whoa. "Holy scripture led..." ??? Do the Euro seculars believe that Nazisim was "led" by holy scripture, too? How about things like slavery in Niger or the Sudan?

Eventually, and apparently much to his surprise, he finally discovers that Mississippians might be human after all.

Europe honours war dead on VE Day

VE day brings honors to the war dead of WWII in Europe as reported by the BBC .

More than 40 million people had lost their lives by the time World War II ended in Europe on 8 May 1945.

President George W Bush laid a wreath at a US cemetery in the Netherlands, where 8,000 US servicemen are buried...

To mark Victory in Europe Day - or VE Day:

Germany held a special service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin and a ceremony at the main Soviet war memorial. A special session of the German parliament is also being held.
In France, President Jacques Chirac attended ceremony on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where he handed out medals to veterans and met school children.
In London, wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph to honour the 265,000 British servicemen and women who died in the war and tens of thousands of civilians killed in the German air raids.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende paid tribute to the fallen US soldiers, saying "they gave us the most precious gift - freedom".

Allow Atheists in Foxholes

In light of CDR Salamander here and here and the rest of the Blogosphere (e.g. Hugh Hewitt and Greyhawk) taking on the church state issue with the Air Force Academy, it thought it worthwhile to revisit this

ACLU Sues to Allow Atheists in Foxholes
The ACLU has brought suit to prevent military personnel from praying in foxholes or during other stressful times of combat. 'We're seeking to reverse the trend so long expressed as 'there are no atheists in foxholes,' said ACLU spokesperson, Ain Tigotta Klew. 'We think that all persons, regardless of their religious convictions, or lack thereof, should be welcome in foxholes or other fighting locations. We are also looking into allegations that prayer is being conducted by these government employees during their working day in clear violation of the policy of separation of church and state.'

When this reporter attempted to contact a Pentagon spokesman, an odd sound, somewhat like muffled laughter, prevented this reporter from hearing the military's initial reaction to this suit.The ACLU is fresh off a success in having the Pentagon to agree to cease any military sponsorship of Boy and Cub Scout troops or Packs...

Update: Well, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) declares that there are already atheists in foxholes. And they resent those who say that there aren't. So there.

(as noted at the time, file under satire but it may simply have been "truth waiting to happen")

Senator Harry Reid Earns a Dodo

For raising the level of political discourse, as set out here, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has earned an EagleSpeak Dodo Award.



Given that the President has twice won election and has increased the majority of Republicans in the Congress, it's a little unclear how Sen. Reid defines "loser."

Sen. Reid's lack of mature leadership ability and intemperate manner make him a deserving winner.

Latest (May 4) ONI World Wide Threat to Shipping

ONI WWTTS available here (click on date).

Highlights:

1. STRAITS OF MALACCA: A 28 Apr Singapore press report states Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to step up efforts to protect the pirate infested Straits of Malacca through coordinated joint patrols of the waterways. Both sides have agreed to reaffirm their commitment to improve the safety of the waterway that borders Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. A 26 Apr Malaysian press report states the Malaysian Navy wants all merchant ships that pass through the Straits of Malacca to use channel 6 to safeguard themselves from pirate attacks. A Malaysian Navy public relations officer explained the channel is to facilitate communications of merchant ships when entering the Straits of Malacca. He goes on to explain vessels need to provide their location to make monitoring easier for the military and that the use of channel 6 had been negotiated with the Singaporean and Indonesian military (LM).
.
2. ASIA: The first four countries have signed the
Japanese led Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) per 04 May message. Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos joined Japan last week in signing the ReCAAP agreement. The ReCAAP plans to establish and operate an Information Sharing Center, to be located in Singapore, with the goal of facilitating communication and information exchanges between the member countries, as well as improve the quality of statistics and reports on piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region. The ReCAAP agreement also seeks to enhance capabilities of member countries to combat piracy and will enter into force 90 days after the 10th country signs up (LL).
.
3. SOMALIA: After a quiet spell, serious attacks have
resumed off Somalia, per 18 Apr report. Since 31 Mar 05, three
incidents have been reported where pirates, armed with guns and grenades, have attacked ships and fired upon them. These attacks took place far away from the Somali coast. Eastern and
northeastern coasts of Somalia continue to be high risk areas for
hijackings. Ships not making scheduled calls to ports in these
areas should stay away from the coast (IMB)...

ANDAMAN SEA: Thai F/V (RATTANAKORN 5) was boarded, robbed, but rescued by authorities 30 Apr while fishing off the southern town of Satun, Thailand. Five men, armed with two M-16s, three AK-47s and 1,200 rounds, boarded the fishing vessel, but not before the crew could get off a distress call to the Thai Navy. The Thai Navy boarded the vessel and arrested the pirates without incident, rescuing the 17 Thai crewmen. Thai authorities suspect the arrested pirates could be involved with the rebellion in Ache, Indonesia and is working with the Indonesian embassy to identify them (REUTERS, LM, INFO).

"War didn't and doesn't bring democracy" by Gen. Wesley Clark

If you want to read some utter nonsense from a man who should know bettter, try this "War didn't and doesn't
bring democracy" by Gen. Wesley Clark.

I guess General Clark must have been asleep during those lectures on post-WWII Japan and Germany and how their democracies developed. Too bad that General of the Armies Douglas MacArthur is around to debate the issue with the "Hero of Kosovo" (where, by the way General Clark, the economy still stinks and where a pluralistic democracy is being imposed on the Kosovar Albanians by your former command, NATO, the EU and the UN).

Hat tip to Best of the Web.

New Navy Meritorious Advancement Program

New Navy Meritorious Advancement Program revealed here.

The Navy established the Combat Meritorious Advancement Program in April, which provides commanders the opportunity to advance junior enlisted Sailors who display uncommon valor and extraordinary leadership while engaged in, or in direct support of, combat operations.

"Our nation and our Navy are at war; this program recognizes and rewards those that have excelled in combat, the crucible of leadership," said Vice Adm. Gerry Hoewing, Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP). "Most importantly, this recognition will come from the commanders who are directly engaged in taking the fight to the enemy in combat."

Good idea.

Niger anti-slave activist jailed

I don't pretend to know the background, but the BBC reports Niger anti-slave activist jailed perhaps on a "trumped-up" charge? But what stunned me was this line:

"At least 43,000 people are thought to live in subjugation across Niger, which officially banned slavery in May 2003."

2003?!?

Did China Discover America? And, if so, so what?

Reuters reports on an historian's theory that China may have discovered America before Columbus here:

Menzies, author of the bestseller "1421: the Year China Discovered America," says Admiral Zheng He led a 'star fleet' of 30,000 men aboard 300 ships to the American continent in the 15th century to expand Ming China's influence.

Zheng, says Menzies, drew up maps later used by Columbus to reach America in 1492 while searching for a new route to India. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan also sailed with the help of Chinese-drawn maps in the 16th century, he adds.

"None of the great explorers discovered anything new. They all had master maps that were charted by the Chinese," said Menzies, a 67-year-old former British submarine commander who spent about 15 years researching his 490-page book.

The government-funded Singapore Tourism Board is one of several groups backing the June 10 to September 11 outdoor exhibit at the Marina Promenade, which organisers say will unveil "new information and evidence" in support of the theory that Zheng landed in America before anyone else.

The "1421 Exhibition", organised partly by Menzies himself, will also include details of a naval base which Zheng is believed to have established in Canada at a geographical site known as "Nova Cataia" or "New Cathay", said one organiser, Pico Art International.

Singapore will also stage celebrations this year marking the 600th anniversary of Zheng's maiden voyage through Southeast Asia, when he arrived in the port of Malacca, on the west coast of modern-day Malaysia, as the emperor's envoy.

The festivities will pay tribute to a man renowned in Chinese history as the country's greatest naval commander.

REWRITING HISTORY

But whether Zheng -- a Muslim eunuch known to have sailed as far as southern Africa -- beat Columbus to America by a comfortable 71 years is bitterly debated.

If true, it would rewrite history books and cause deep soul-searching in American schools.

"It's rubbish," said Geoff Wade, a senior fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore. "There is no evidence to back it up."

Mr. Wade needs to learn to express his opinion and not hold back.

Perhaps the Chinese territorial claims will now expand to Canada, California and South America. However, they get an argument from the Vikings...

Update: For a debunking of one Chinese "first" myth, see this. (Hat tip: Arrgggh!!!)

Thailand offers help to secure Malacca Strait

Another country heard from: Thailand offers help to secure Malacca Strait

Thailand expressed on Tuesday its will to assist Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to stamp out piracy in the Strait of Malacca even though there has been opposition to Thai involvement.

Thailand Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon raised the piracy and security issue during a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his local counterpart here Hassan Wirayuda on Tuesday.

"I have raised the possibility of Thailand's contribution to strengthening the security within the strait," he told reporters after the meeting.

"It is a very important strait, we are eager to work closely with Indonesia and with the other countries bordering the strait,"

"We looked into the issue about the need to have capacity-building, we want to participate in policing the strait so it is safe for international navigation," Kantathi said.

Latest ICC Commercial Crime Services Piracy Report

Latest ICC CCS Piracy report here. Highlight:

7.04.2005 at 1945 LT in position 21:57.7N - 060:46.9E, Oman.
Offshore supply ship received a distress call "crashed fishing boat" from a fishing boat. Master proceeded towards the position and on arrival at scene found no men in water. Ship received another distress call and proceeded towards that position about 3 nm away. Master suspected something amiss during conversations with the skipper of fishing boat and he felt this was a piratical trap. Ship moved away from the area at full speed and warned vessels in the area on VHF.

Tenure-When a Professor Loses It- Welcome to the Real World

Oooh, too bad, sometimes people don't get chosen to keep their job for life as reported in Inside Higher Ed :: When a Professor Loses It. (Hat tip: Instapundit)

Of course people in any profession face disappointments over not getting raises and promotions. But Trower and others noted that tenure in academe has some characteristics that just aren’t widely replicated: If you don’t get promoted, you don’t get to stay on, but must leave; you are judged in part by peers with whom you interact daily; the process is extremely long and has multiple stages; and the subjective portions of the process (is someone a good teacher? was a book influential?) may be very difficult to make sense of.

You have got to be kidding. These guys need to see what life is like out in the real world, where there the rules are that on any day you can be fired for any reason or no reason (unless the reason is based on some illegal basis, like race, ethnicity, etc) and you don't get to go running to some review committee to get a second opinion.

Boss having a bad day? Then he can fire you. Boss has nephew who needs a job? Boss can fire you. Merger? Outsourcing? Downsizing? Right sizing? Bye Bye.

Subjective evaluations? Every. Single. Day.

Own your own business? Nothing like having your customers vote with their feet if they "feel" your service has fallen off... Talk about stress. Let's suppose your business drops off. Which employee will have to go? Which sad story will you hear? Kid in the hospital? Sole support for elderly parent? Which friend of x years will you have to tell, "I can't afford to keep you on."

How about companies like GE under Jack Welch in which the staff was evaluated and the bottom x% lopped off every year? You want a helping of some stress?

How about the kids who have wanted to be Navy pilots all their lives and made it to flight school only to be told that there is a temporary surplusage of pilots and, well, "sorry...needs of the Navy"? (See here)

Freelance writer? When's the next sale? Lawyer? Did you win your last case? Was the client happy until the bill arrived? Will the bill get paid? Will there be enough money coming in this month to pay the kid's tuition at Expensive Enough U. where the faculty debates tenure and raises rates every year with no performance measurements outside of the occasional peer review?

Let the crocodile tears flow...



Update: I can't believe I forgot to mention earlier the young men and women who are being slightly stressed by having people attempting to kill them while out defending academic and other freedoms for a heck of a lot less than even an untenured professor makes. And the people on ships and submarines and flying transports and protecting our borders and enforcing the law and the Coast Guard going out in horrible weather to attempt to rescue people in trouble at sea. Every single day.

Flamingos Didn't Duck

14 flamingos killed by falling tree branches in Malaysian zoo. Mourners asked to wear pink.

New LNG Deepwater Port Applications

The US Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration have received six applications for the licensing of deepwater ports involving proposed LNG facilities. The facilities would receive LNG ships, re-gasify the LNG offshore, and transport the natural gas to onshore markets through new pipelines that interconnect with existing pipelines.

The world’s first LNG terminal to come online is Energy Bridge in the Gulf of Mexico, 116 mi off Louisiana. Advanced Production and Loading AS of Norway (APL) supplied and installed its Submerged Turret Loading buoy system, which loads crude oil offshore, to Energy Bridge in February. The terminal is owned and operated by Excelerate Energy LLC.

The STL system can deliver gas volumes in excess of 500 MMcf/d. The first offshore discharge of an LNG carrier was expected to take place in March. The LNG vessels using this terminal are standard LNG carriers with onboard re-gasification and STL shipboard equipment.

(source). Moving the LNG ports offshore saves the whining of the NIMBYs, I guess, but it does add to the cost.

Gasoline Prices? Blame the logistics...

During his April 28 press conference, President Bush spoke on the current high gasoline prices and their impact on the economy. Afterwards, of course, the "talking heads" spoke about how the President's honest answer (in essence "Can't do much about it in the short term...") will be unsatisfactory to the public as a whole.

Even with increased production there are still problems with the logistics train that will not help with prices, especially a shortage of tankers to transport the world's oil>. The headline reads, "Tanker shortage, profits up" here:

To supply all of the world’s crude-oil needs today, there are only about 3,500 tankers steaming out on the open seas or anchored at ports. Demand for their services far exceeds this supply, and, as a result, tanker rates have soared in the past year much faster than the price of crude oil itself. According to a report by McQuilling Services, an ocean-transport consultant, the world will be 26% short of big oil tankers, known as “very large crude carriers,” or VLCCs, through the end of this year. (A VLCC is a crude-oil tanker of at least 200,000 tons deadweight. It is big, larger than an aircraft carrier.) When you consider not just the number of tankers afloat but also the extent to which they are actually available due to port congestion, the supertanker industry appears even more tonnage deficient, according to a Bloomberg report on the McQuilling finding.

As a result of the shortage, the oil-shipping business has been exceedingly profitable. Rates on the big bruisers that haul 2 million barrels of oil from the Persian Gulf to Japan hit as much as $250,000 per day last fall and are not too far off that pace today. That's a rate said to be 10 times the break-even point for tanker owners.

Even as crude oil prices appear to have topped this month, it’s important to realize that these high rates are being locked in for half a decade. A great many tankers are owned by the big oil companies like Saudi Aramco and ConocoPhillips (COP, news, msgs). Increasingly, however, more are leased on one- to five-year charters or picked up on the spot market for one-way or round-trip runs. That gets a big capital expense off the oil companies’ books, not to mention liability in the event of a spill. The folks behind the leasing are typically powerful private trading firms like Glencore International of Switzerland or Vitol of the Netherlands -- which might each have 175 ships under lease at any given time -- or major oil companies like Exxon Mobil (XOM, news, msgs) or ChevronTexaco (CVX, news, msgs)...They earn that much cash because there just aren’t enough boats to meet the requirements of the world’s energy needs even though new tankers are finally being built. It takes a long time to construct enough ships to meet spikes in interest, and, at today’s steel prices, many potential builders continue to hold off.

The name of the game these days therefore is for fleet owners to buy used ships at good prices from less successful operators, refurbish them quickly and put them on long-term charters at today’s high prices. It takes a certain amount of savvy to find the right ships and make those deals, and that is what distinguishes the better tanker companies from competitors.

A pretty good short summary of what is involved in refinery economics from our friends at Chevron here at
Refinery Economics

The ultimate operating variable is, of course, the price of crude oil. Crude oil quality is another key variable. Heavy, high-sulfur crudes can cost up to one-third less than lighter, better crudes. However, because high-sulfur crudes require more processing, refineries that buy primarily cheap crudes incur more fixed expenses for equipment and labor.
Processing high-sulfur crudes also requires greater expenditures for energy. In fact, energy accounts for roughly half the cost of running a refinery, which is the main reason Chevron has cogeneration plants at most of its facilities. Cogeneration uses gases from refinery processing units to generate electricity and steam.

Refinery location is yet another variable. The closer a refinery is to both crude oil sources and a high demand market, the lower transportation costs are. Chevron's large and modern refinery in Pascagoula, Miss., on the other hand, is not as close to major gasoline-buying markets. Thus, Chevron must factor in the added cost of getting Pascagoula's products to market. Nevertheless, the refinery has posted excellent profits, largely because it is well-equipped to run some of the heaviest, cheapest crudes in the world.

Running a refinery is never simple, and Chevron works hard to keep its facilities safe, flexible and compatible with the environment.

More from another source at Refinery economics

Refinery economics are largely a function of supply and demand. Product prices are determined by a variety of factors such as the economy, weather and competition between retailers and from other fuels. Feedstock prices (crude oil) are influenced by the above demand factors, actions by OPEC and governmental regulations.

Refinery margins (the difference between raw material costs and product revenues expressed on a per barrel of crude basis) can vary depending on the complexity of the refinery. The more complicated the refinery, the higher the operating costs, but the greater the ability to make higher-valued products like gasoline.

Operating margins for high complexity or cracking refineries (refineries with catalytic cracking units) are found on the Oil & Gas Journal Cracking Spread chart.

Cracking margins here

Energy prices fall as crude stocks increase:

Energy prices plunged Apr. 27 as US crude inventories rebounded with a large weekly build and President George W. Bush called on oil producers around the world to increase production.

However, in his Apr. 27 speech to the National Small Business Conference in Washington, DC, Bush promised no immediate relief from high energy prices that have "been years in the making" (OGJ Online, Apr. 27, 2005)

And there are good reasons why there will be no immediate effect, as you now know.

More interesting refinery stuff: What is a refinery?

chart

Update: 3,500 tankers shared by the world carrying a huge percentage of the world's fuel supply - talk about a matter of strategic importance! Need more information of the vital sea lanes through which these ships travel? See here

England pleads guilty to Abu Ghraib charges

Not that there was much doubt, but England pleads guilty to Abu Ghraib charges. Note that she does not say she was following orders from the White House, but rather succumbed to "peer pressure" to do something she knew was wrong.

At one point during the hearing, England told the judge, Col. James Pohl, that she succumbed to peer pressure.

"I had a choice, but I chose to do what my friends wanted me to do," the Army Reserve soldier said.

Asked why she thought the others were participating, she said, "They did it for their own amusement."

So much for evil conspiracy theories. This mess was caused by insufficiently supervised low-level almost adults.

Camera Phone Saves Man with Serious Spider Bite

CNET reports one more happy use for camera phones here:

Before the swelling and dizziness hit, the 23-year-old snapped a picture of his assailant to prove to friends just how big it was (very big--about 5 inches).

Later, as Stevens' condition deteriorated and doctors fought to save his life, they were able to send the picture to experts at the Bristol Zoo, who identified the spider and told doctors which type of anti-venom was needed.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider, or Phoneutria fer, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most poisonous spider, with venom glands up to 10mm long (just under half an inch) containing enough poison to kill 225 mice.

Mice or man, I am sure the residents of area are not happy to learn the spider was released, even if given assurances it won't live long...