Latest ICC CCS Weekly Piracy Report (to 3 Dec 07) and ONI WWTTS Report (to 28 NOv 07)

ICC Commercial Crime Services Weekly Piracy Report (to 3 Dec 07) here. Highlights:

Gulf of Aden / Red Sea : A number of suspicious craft reports have been received. These craft either set a collision course, or pursue the ships. Mariners advised to be cautious. In the past, some of the vessels have been fired upon.
# Somalian waters : The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre has received 26 actual and attempted attacks so far this year. Many more attacks may have gone unreported. Some pirates are dangerous and would fire their automatic weapons at ships to stop them. Occasionally, they would use their RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) launchers at ships. Pirates are believed to be using “mother vessels” to launch attacks at very far distance from coast. These “mother vessel” is able to proceed to very far out to sea to launch smaller boats to attack and hijack passing ships. Eastern and Northeastern coasts are high risk areas for attacks and hijackings. Vessels not making scheduled calls to ports in Somalia should keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast, ideally more than 200 nautical miles.

ONI Worldwide Threats to Shipping Report (to 28 Nov 07) here. Highlights:

G. WEST AFRICA:
.
1. CAMEROON: Ambush on Cameroon military by unidentified gunmen, military
personnel killed 12 Nov 07, Bakassi Peninsula. Unidentified gunmen reportedly dressed in Nigerian military uniforms and traveling in seven speedboats ambushed a Cameroon military post. Additional reporting indicates the ambush was against a boat carrying food and supplies to Cameroonian soldiers on the peninsula. The attackers seized the soldiers weapons leaving others wounded. The Nigerian military stated they did not have any hand in the attacks and blamed militants from the volatile Niger Delta region. Nigeria handed the sensitive and oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula over to Cameroon in August 2006 after a ruling by the International Court of Justice
(AFP, BBC, LM: allafrica.com, Daily Triumph).
.
2. NIGERIA: Suspected militants attack Nigerian Navy 25 Nov 07, Soku, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Port Harcourt. Suspected militants attacked four patrol boats of the Nigerian Navy, leading to a fierce gunfight. The naval boats were on their routine patrol of the creeks when they were attacked by approximately 30 boats that were fitted with machine guns. Sources stated that the militants fled after they came under superior firepower. The speedboats used by the militants were sunk. It is unknown if there were any casualties (LM:
THISDAY, afriquenligne.fr).
.
3. NIGERIA: Container ship boarded, robbed 24 Nov 07 at 0345 local time in position 06:17.8S – 003:21.2E, Lagos anchorage. Four armed robbers in a small wooden boat boarded the vessel from the aft. They stole the ship’s stores and escaped. No injuries to crew (IMB).
.
4. NIGERIA: Tanker boarded, robbed 21 Nov 07 at 0212 local time while drifting in position 06:12N-003:18E, 15 miles from Lagos shore. Five pirates armed with knives boarded the vessel. The duty crew spotted the pirates and informed the duty officer. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. The pirates escaped with the ship’s stores (IMB).
***
3. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 08 Nov 07 at 0400 local time, while underway in position 13:48N-053:45E, north of Socotra Island. While the
vessel was traveling at 16.5 KTS, an officer aboard the vessel noticed one unlit target 3NM of the port bow with a speed of 19 KTS. Once the suspicious craft was approximately 1NM from the ship, it reduced its speed to 16.5 KTS and was trying to meet the ship. The master was called and the general alarm was raised. All crew mustered and were sent all around the ship with radios. All deck lights switched on and continuous alarm was raised as well as the whistle and the crew made banging alarm in different places of the ship’s side. At 0430 local time, another unlit boat observed 2NM of port bow. At 0445 local time, boats headed towards Socotra Island and went away (Operator).
***
N. ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC NON-STATE ACTIVIST GROUPS:
.
1. SEA SHEPHERD: Sea Shepherd’s two month campaign Operation MIGALOO will
commence 28 Nov 07, Southern Ocean. Beginning 28 Nov 07, Captain Watson and his
volunteer crew will leave for the Southern Ocean and should arrive in an international whale sanctuary before the Japanese fleet. The radical conservation group says it’ll do everything in its power to stop the Japanese from killing more than 1000 whales, including ramming the whaling ships if necessary to try to stop the whalers (REUTERS, AAP, LM).
.
2. GREENPEACE: Greenpeace vessel (ESPERANZA) attempts to track the Japanese
whaling fleet, 18 Nov 07, Antarctic Ocean. Japan’s whaling fleet consisted of four vessels, which departed Shiomnoseki port to hunt famed humpback whales. Japan’s whaling fleet insists that killing 950 whales or more, including 50 humpbacks is for research. The (ESPERANZA)waited outside of Japanese coastal waters and will try to track the whalers to Antarctic waters and use non-violent tactics to stop the hunters (AFP, UPI, LM: chron.com).
.
3. GREENPEACE: Greenpeace activists attempt to block shipment 25 Nov 07 in the
evening, Porvoo, Finland. Protestors aboard approximately five rubber boats were attempting to block a ship carrying 9,000-10,000 tons of palm oil from reaching the company’s Kilpilahti refinery. Police and the Coast Guard eventually forced the boats used by the environmentalists back to shore, and a total of 33 activists from different countries were arrested. According to Greenpeace, the police removed the fuel tanks from three of their boats on land and then the Coast Guard towed one of the boats ashore (LM: allheadlinenews.com, YLE Uutiset).
.
4. GREENPEACE: Greenpeace activists attempt to stop tanker (DOROUSSA) from
transporting palm oil, per 23 Nov 07 reporting, Rotterdam port, Netherlands. Environmentalists have chained themselves to the containers on the vessel to prevent the unloading of Indonesian palm oil. About six rubber speedboats brought the 20 protestors to the vessel. The vessel is destined for the company Vopak in Vlaardingen to unload its cargo (LM: Expatica).
.
5. GREENPEACE: Tanker (MT WESTAMA) was blocked while at berth by Greenpeace
activists 16 Nov 07, Dumai, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Activists reportedly anchored the Greenpeace vessel (RAINBOW WARRIOR) beside the (MT WESTAMA) blocking the vessel from leaving its berth destined for India with its palm oil cargo. The protest aimed to highlight the role palm oil plays in driving global deforestation and peatland destruction, which are major contributors to climate change. The vessel was finally able to depart from its birth on 18 Nov 07
(LM: REUTERS, AFP).

Blackbeard's flag is the graphic.

Somalia: Supplies being cut off to pirates on benzene tanker

Reported here:

Two US navy ships sailed near a hijacked Japanese chemical tanker to block supplies from reaching pirates on board, in a bid to secure its release, a spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.

The Golden Nori, carrying tens of thousands of tonnes of inflammable benzene, was hijacked on October 28 along with its 23 crew members from Myanmar, the Philippines and South Korea.

"We have two US navy ships that are monitoring the Golden Nori right now and we are taking appropriate steps to prevent re-supply of the vessel," said Commander Lydia Robertson, spokeswoman for the US Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.

By blocking the supplies of the tanker, which was sailing from Singapore to Israel when it was hijacked, the navy aims to force the pirates to abandon the vessel, she said.

"The safety of the crew and the vessel continues to be a priority and we are committed to countering and deterring piracy in order to build a lawful maritime order."

The Golden Nori is the last vessel remaining under pirates' control off the Somali coastline after the Comoran-flagged cargo MV Al Marjan was released over the weekend.

Previous report on "cornering" of the vessel here.

Somalia: Food resupply halted

Emergency food ships get escorted safely to port in Somalia, but they aren't allowed to offload - things get worse as set out in Alarm as Somalia halts food aid:

The Somali government has prevented food aid being distributed in the crisis-hit Lower Shabelle region, international officials have said.

Two ships carrying aid, which the French navy escorted in to scare off pirates, cannot unload their cargo.

It said it was deeply concerned that the delivery of food aid was being restricted. Ports and airports have been closed and a road convoy halted.

The UN says one million Somalis are homeless because of the fighting.

The head of the national security service said President Abdullahi Yusuf had ordered restrictions to be imposed on the region immediately.

Meanwhile, Mr Yusuf has been taken to hospital in Nairobi. Officials say he is fine but others said he was in a "serious" condition.

He is expected to miss a big meeting on Wednesday in Ethiopia of regional leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

A spokesman for the UN's World Food Programme said it had not been able to get an explanation - or even confirmation - from the government.

The new rules mean that 3.5 tonnes of food aid which arrived at Marka port under French navy escort to ward off pirates must remain on board.

The WFP also says it has stopped a convoy of trucks bringing food from Mogadishu to Joha after the toll charged at roadblocks rose from $75 to $500 a truck.

No aid agency staff are allowed to move in the region.

Not sounding so good...

More here.

UPDATE: Supplies restarted, as set out here:

Aid operations in southeastern Somalia resumed Wednesday after the government lifted a freeze implemented a day earlier for unclear reasons, the UN's food programme (WFP) said.

WFP spokesman Peter Smerdon said aid agencies and NGOs were authorised to resume activities which had been suspended by the authorities in the Lower Shabelle region, one of the worst affected by the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis.

"We have received a letter from the Lower Shabelle region government saying 'despite all that happened, this is to certify that all the humanitarian operations in Lower Shabelle region can be resumed following December 5'," Smerdon old reporters.

Somali pirates "cornered?"

Says so at U.S. warships corner Somali pirates who seized ship :

U.S. and German navy ships have cornered Somali pirates who seized a Japanese-owned chemical tanker more than a month ago and are demanding a ransom, an official said on Tuesday.

The Panama-registered Golden Nori was carrying benzene from Singapore to Israel when it was hijacked on October 28, just off Somalia, one of the world's most dangerous shipping lanes.
***
"One German and two American warships have been after Golden Nori for 42 days after it was hijacked. The pirates arrived in Bosasso around 10 p.m.," Saeed Mohamed Rage, Puntland region's fishing and marine minister told a news conference in the northern port town of Bosasso.

He said there were 21 crew members on board.

"We are negotiating with their captors. We told them to surrender to Puntland authority," Rage said, adding that the pirates were demanding an undisclosed ransom.

"We are in good communications with the Americans and we are still engaged in dialogue with the hijackers," he said.

Red arrow points to port of Bosasso.

Minor Changes

Updated the format a little.

I think I've got most of it back. Let me know of any problems.

Thanks!

Monday Reading

Good stuff at Fred Fry International: Maritime Monday 87

and

Monday Maritime Matters at Chaotic Synaptic Activity with a ship name backgrounder.

UPDATE: Bubblehead has some fun with Iranian subs. Hold the mayo.

UPDATE2: Galrahn has some Iranian sub stuff up, too, with some interesting observations here.

Somali pirates free another ship

Somali pirates have set the Al Marjan free, as set out here:

Somali pirates on Sunday released a Comoran-flagged cargo vessel that was captured off the country's coast in October, the United States Navy said.

The MV Al Marjan, with 22 mostly Asian crew members on board, was seized on October 19 as it sailed to Mogadishu port from the United Arab Emirates port of Dubai.
***
Robertson said USS Whidbey Island, a dock landing ship, had sent help to the released vessel.

"We are ready to offer them (crew) any assistance they need - food, medicine," she added.

Caption for photo below:

USS WHIDBEY ISLAND, At Sea - Crew members from merchant vessal Al Marjan and boarding team members from USS Whidbey Island observe Whidbey Island in the distance. Al Marjan was released from pirates off the Somali coast Dec. 2. Al Marjan had been under the control of Somalia-based pirates since Oct. 17. USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) was on hand to assist the vessel and its crew following its release. The U.S. Navy has maintained a ship presence off the coast of Somalia since late October. There has been as many as six pirated vessels off the Somali coast over the last 30 days. The U.S.-led multinational maritime task force responsible for planning counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa includes Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Coalition forces conduct Maritime Security Operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that all commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the region.

More photos here.

Of course, since a ransom was probably paid for the ship's release, the word "free" is not really appropriate...

Sunday Ship History: Big Inch and Little Big Inch

December 1941 changed everything. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7 as part of their plan to dominate the eastern Pacific and capture the valuable oil and other resources of the area. The Germans on December 11 joined in the war against the United States, which had been the lifeline for the English in their stubborn refusal to cave in to the Third Reich.

A logical extension of the war was the establishing of U-boat patrols off the the American East and Gulf Coasts where the shipping vital to the war effort was moving close to shore. Five U-boats headed out, starting on December 18, 1941:

During the first 6 months of the German U-boat offensive out of the US east coast some 397 ships totalling over 2 million tons were sunk, costing roughly 5000 lives.

Among those ships were oil tankers, heading from the Texas oil fields to refineries in New Jersey and other East Coast locations. Many sinkings were close to shore and made headline news.
As the U-boats struck, supplies to the refineries dwindled, leading to a crisis of supply:

Tankers continued to be the number one target of the U-boats, and shortfalls in oil and oil product deliveries were beginning to seriously worry the oil industry. Oil companies were afraid they would be unable to deliver enough heating and fuel oil for the northeastern states.

Some of the responsibility can be placed on Admiral King, who was late to accept the idea of convoying ships on coastal routes, though, in his defense, he didn't have much in the way of escorts available, either (which led to some innovative ideas, such as the use of the Civil Air Patrol in sub-hunting, as discussed here).

Before the war, concerns over America's ability to protect its shipping had arisen, and one man, "Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes realized as early as 1940 that shipment of petroleum to the northeast by tanker ships would be impossible in time of war because of German submarines." Mr. Ickes argued for an increase in pipelines, well within the boundaries of the United States, to supplement or replace the sea-going and vulnerable tankers. He was initially unsuccessful:

In 1941, at Ickes's urging, oil industry executives began to plan the building of two pipelines–one, twenty-four inches in diameter, called the Big Inch, to transport crude oil, and another, twenty inches in diameter, called the Little Big Inch, to transport refined products. Although Ickes asked the Federal Allocation Board for steel to build the pipelines, he was turned down in September and again in November 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor another request, now to the War Production Board, was rejected, but Ickes still persuaded Jubal Richard Partenqv to head the Petroleum Administration for War transportation department. On June 10, 1942, the WPB gave approval for the first section of the Big Inch, which stopped in Illinois. Construction was through a private company, War Emergency Pipelines, Incorporated, but the pipelines were owned by the federal government through its Defense Plant Corporation, a subsidiary of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

Work began on the Big Inch on August 3, 1942. The WPB approved the second leg of the pipeline on October 26, 1942. A ditch four feet deep, three feet wide and 1,254 miles long was to be dug from Longview across the Mississippi River to Southern Illinois and then east to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, with twenty-inch lines from there to New York City and Philadelphia. Crude oil was delivered to the end of the first leg, Norris City, Illinois, on February 13, 1943. By August 14, 1943, the Big Inch had been completed. In January 1943 approval was given for the first half of the Little Big Inch; approval for the entire line was given on April 2. This line, beginning in the refinery complex between Houston and Port Arthur and ending in Linden, New Jersey, was completed on March 2, 1944. Cost of the two lines was $146 million, financed entirely by the RFC. Together the pipelines carried over 350 million barrels of crude oil and refined products to the East Coast before the war in Europe ended in August 1945.

How important? One historian notes:

The truth is--oil was the indispensable product, in all its forms, to the Allied campaigns around the world. Without it World War Two could never have been won. For oil, once processed or refined in various ways, became the source or indispensable material for laying runways, making toluene (the chief component of TNT) for bombs, the manufacturing of synthetic rubber for tires, and the distilling into gasoline (particularly at 100-octane levels) for use in trucks, tanks, jeeps, and airplanes. And, that is not to mention the need for oil as a lubricant for guns and machinery.

While the pipelines were being constructed (and existing pipelines were being upgraded), American tactics began to change in response to the U-boat threat:

Tactical changes were in the works for Andrews’s fleet, which by April was made up of 23 large and 42 small antisubmarine vessels, including the British trawlers. The new system grouped merchant ships into mini-convoys dubbed “bucket brigades.” During the day, the convoys would be escorted on their way, and at night, they would put in at sheltered harbors. Planes, including Civil Air Patrol craft, would fly overhead. The mere sight of an airplane was known to send U-boats diving, so even an air patrol Piper Cub might disrupt an enemy attack.

These measures slowed but did not stop the loss of merchant ships. One tactic merchants had used to avoid attack was to sail 300 miles east of the Outer Banks, but the U-boats found them and continued the slaughter.

At the end of April, King and Andrews agreed that Andrews would take direct control over tanker sailings. All tanker traffic on the coast was ordered into port to await further orders. While Andrews worked on what to do next, the seaborne hauling of oil was halted, which hampered the Allied war effort from the oil-hungry factories of New England all the way to the empty petrol tanks of old England. A solution was needed fast.

Meanwhile, the range of the submarine war was increasing. In May and June, Dönitz expanded operations into the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. The mouth of the Mississippi turned out to be a particularly lucrative killing ground for the U-boats.

By mid-May planning was coming together for a true convoy system for the Eastern Sea Frontier. As convoys were implemented, U-boat skippers began to notice that sightings of individual ships occurred much less frequently. When ships were sighted, they were found in clusters with trawlers, cutters, and destroyers scurrying about in escort. Overhead, army and navy patrol planes kept an eye out for subs. The risks of attacking grew as the waters and skies filled with sub-hunters. The rejuvenated American effort began to take a toll on the Germans. The coast guard’s Icarus sank U-352, and army pilot Lieutenant Harry Kane dropped two depth-bombs on the U-701 in a perfect attack that put the sub on the bottom for good.

In May and June 1942, as the convoy system was still being phased in (with increasing enthusiasm from King, a former foe of convoys), there were 87 attacks on Allied shipping. In July and August, with well-escorted convoys moving under air cover and with the coast finally blacked out at nighttime, there were only 26. In June one U-boat was sunk, in July three, and in August one. The battle for the Eastern Sea Frontier was ending. Dönitz brought his remaining forces home in August.

The U-boats had scored the most one-sided and damaging victory against the United States of any foreign naval power. Germany had sunk 233 ships off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico and killed no fewer than 5,000 seamen and passengers. Every month of Operation Drumbeat, German subs destroyed 3.5 percent of the tanker fleet for a total of 22 percent. The operation caused major disruptions in war-material production and in the shipping of supplies to the war fronts. This was Germany’s first strategic victory of the war that directly impacted on the American homeland. Fortunately, it was also its last.

Due to the timing of the completion of the "Inches" with the improvement in shipping protection, it can be questioned how much they contributed to the war effort. One response to that question of the value of the "Inches?"

The Big Inch and Little Big Inch pipelines, it should be stressed, aided almost beyond estimation the winning of World War Two by the Allies. For one thing, protected as they were from enemy attack, it was possible to circumvent submarine attacks by the Germans, which had wreaked havoc on oil tankers from the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Caribbean to the East Coast. In fact, before the two pipelines began to operate German submarines had sunk so many tankers, there were many beaches on islands in the Caribbean, which were seriously polluted with oil. But, it must be added--the Big Inch and the Little Big Inch pipelines were both finished before the D-Day invasion at Normandy on 6 June 1944. That made possible the delivery of huge quantities of crude and its refined products for Operation Overlord, the code name for that landing in northern France.

The pipelines also freed railroad tank cars and tanker ships from refinery supply service and allowed them to be used for other war fighting efforts.In fact, that's my point in including a land-based pipeline in a ship history piece - the freeing up of escorts, tankers and aircraft to take the fight to the enemy was a major consequence of the "Inches."

A more complete history of the "Inches" can be found here (pdf).

The pipelines may have inspired a toy:

On the Field of Friendly Strife

On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory.
General Douglas MacArthur

Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC)

A 1997 paper on Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) that mostly discusses the Asia SLOC issues. Found here. Written by Stanley B. Weeks, co-author of The Armed Forces of the USA in the Asia-Pacific Region (Armed Forces of Asia) and identified as "a senior scientist with Science Applications International Corporation."

While the paper is 10 years old, its topic is timeless. As is its conclusion:

The increasing importance of SLOC security and access for states in the East Asia region will result in their increased attention to both military and non-military concerns regarding freedom of navigation. The United States, which shares the interests of the East Asian states in regional SLOC security and access, would undoubtedly welcome increased cooperation, understanding and support of regional states in upholding traditional principles of freedom of the seas so vital to seaborne trade.

Very nice set of maps, too.

UPDATE: Another useful paper here on " Sea Lane Security and U.S. Maritime Trade: Chokepoints as Scarce Resources" by Donna J. Nincic, then of the California State Maritime Academy:

Chokepoints are affected both by decreased supply and increased demand. While the physical supply of them is, for all practical purposes, fixed, and there are few current, economically viable, substitutes, the effective supply—that is, availability—is threatened by a number of factors (piracy, physical degradation, and the like) that may reduce or restrict their availability. Threats to supply can take two forms: physical constraints that restrict passage and actions by states or nonstate actors that threaten or restrict free passage through the chokepoint.

More here with "Maritime Economic Interests & the Sea Lines of Communication Through the South China Sea," from whence this handy alternative SLOC map comes:

UAE detains Iranian ship pursuant to UN and UAE Regs, wackos get excited

The rather incredibly named "Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran" (that's "Iranian dupes" "Iranian Front Group" or CASMII for short)takes note UAE detains ship as grip on Iran tightens:

The United Arab Emirates has impounded a vessel bound for Iran to verify whether chemicals found aboard contravene United Nations and UAE regulations.

The move, which Iranian analysts say is causing concern in Tehran, comes as tighter international sanctions close their grip on the Iranian financial system, with the UAE - a vital trade partner for the Islamic republic - becoming more active in attempts to rein in Iranian business interests.

UAE-Iran trade rose to $12bn (€8.1bn, £5.8bn) last year, with Dubai's re-export hub the single most important entry point for goods coming into Iran.

In September the UAE, a strong US ally, introduced an export control law to prevent traders using the country to transport materials that could be used in, for example, nuclear weapons or explosive devices used against allied troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The impounded vessel was offloading goods at Dubai's huge Jebel Ali port, one of the main gateways into Iran.

"We need to make sure it abides by a new export law passed a few weeks ago. [We] have to make sure items are in line with our laws and abide by existing resolutions," said a UAE official source.

The test results are due to come back in a "matter of days", he said. The authorities had intercepted other vessels and would continue to do so as "normal procedure", he added.

It is, of course, all the U.S.'s fault that her neighbors mistrust Iran's peaceful intentions.

New Game: Count the "Muhammads" or variations thereof

It's a new game sweeping the world!

Count the "Muhammads" here.

Wrong - you forgot the Teddy Bear!

Human trafficking: Busted!

In addition to going after pirates, looks like some other scum are getting their due as set out in British and Yemeni Forces Stop Human Traffickers in Gulf of Aden:

A number of suspected human smugglers were arrested, and two vessels were seized in a joint operation between Coalition warship HMS Richmond and the Yemeni Coastguard in the Gulf of Aden Nov. 19.

Having covertly tracked two suspicious dhows throughout the day, Richmond followed the two smuggling boats as they headed toward Somalia. Under the cover of darkness, Richmond coordinated a close-quarters intercept.

It’s believed the boats had been used to smuggle humans into Yemen from Somalia.

“Monitoring the suspected smuggling vessels from afar using the ship’s tracking capabilities, we could clearly see some suspicious activity underway,” said Richmond’s Commanding Officer, Commander Piers Hurrell. “Using the stealthy features of the Type 23 Frigate, 13 suspected human smugglers were arrested, and two vessels seized. The message this sends to others involved in this illegal activity is quite clear.”

The U.K., U.S. and German navies are working with the Yemeni government under the umbrella of the Pakistani-commanded Combined Task Force 150 to promote lawful use of the maritime environment in the Gulf of Aden and the wider region to reduce the activities of human smugglers and pirates.

According to UN High Commissioner for Refugees figures, nearly 25,000 refugees have made the journey from war-torn Somalia to Yemen and there have been more than 1,000 recorded deaths.

More on human trafficking here. And a typical story here:

More than 60 migrants, mostly Somalians, drowned while crossing the Gulf of Aden on their way to Yemen in a desperate attempt to flee battles back home, a security official and witnesses said on Thursday.

Twenty-five others survived and managed to reach the Yemeni southern shores of Redhoum in the Shabwah province, after their boat capsized in the waters on Wednesday night, a security official here said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

He said that fishermen informed the authorities on Wednesday night of seeing bodies floating in the water. The army and the local citizens took part in a rescue operation.

The 25 survivors were taken to the refugee camp in the city of Lahij north of Aden. Witnesses said the dead were buried in mass graves Thursday by the local people and the soldiers.

It was not immediately clear how the boat had capsized and some survivors claimed there were six refugees missing.

The UN refugee agency has reported that at least 439 migrants have died while crossing the Gulf of Aden this year and at least another 489 are missing.

Migrants from the Horn of Africa - particularly from Somalia where ongoing violence between the UN-supported interim government and Islamic groups has caused thousands to flee their homes - regularly face abuse at the hands of smugglers at sea.

Some are attacked during the journey and thrown overboard into shark-infested waters, while smugglers often force passengers to disembark offshore to avoid Yemeni coast guard patrols.

The high season for human trafficking across the Gulf usually runs from early September to May when the sea is less stormy than during summer. More than 10,000 people have reportedly arrived in Yemen by boat this year.

Maritime Civil Affairs learning from Army

As reported here, a great use of an existing knowledge base in furtherance of mission accomplishment:

A five-man Maritime Civil Affairs Team from the Maritime Civil Affairs Group at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., trained with the Army’s 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, in villages located in the northern region of Djibouti, Sept. 20-Oct. 18.

The team set out to give people a face to go with their recently established group, while also gaining knowledge on how civil affairs teams function in real environments. The MCAG was officially stood up in March by the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and deploys small groups of Maritime Civil Affairs Teams to different countries to aid U.S. Naval forces by conducting civil military missions in a coastal and riverine environment.

The mission of the Navy and Army’s civil affairs teams are similar, however the MCATs additionally focus on commercial port operations, marine and fishing resources, and harbor and channel construction and maintenance.

“We’re hoping to learn from the Army’s civil affairs team since they’ve been in business for a long time and have already established a standard of operation that we hope to draw from and adapt to the Navy’s mission,” said Lt. Rayburn Massiah, MCAT leader.
***
While the MCAT was in Djibouti, they were able to participate in a Medical Civic Action Program that was conducted by the 350th Civil Affairs Command in the town of Obock. The team assisted where they were needed and gained hands-on experience at the MEDCAP.

“There’s only so much you can learn in a classroom about civil affairs,” said Senior Chief Electronics Technician Scott Huss, team chief for the MCAT. “Being able to participate in an actual mission shows us how things are done in the real world.”

Maritime civil affairs missions provide the opportunity for naval, joint forces and civilians in operational areas to work together.

“The 486th has provided excellent support to us throughout our mission,” said Operations Specialist 1st Class Weston McAuslan. “We really appreciate the help and guidance they have given us.”

The MCAT members learned how to nominate potential projects for a village, conduct village assessments and build relationships with locals. They also attended meetings with the Ministry of Education to discuss the prioritizing of village projects.

“I really like being a part of something where you can see the effects of the help we’re giving,” said McAuslan. “With the diversity of the work we do, we can go everywhere and work with different people and services. But our mission is always the same; we are giving these people the tools that build confidence in their abilities to help themselves and their neighbors.”

Enlisted members of the team completed a minimum of nine weeks of training, with officers undergoing 12 weeks of training, which includes the Maritime Civil Affairs Qualification Course and the Expeditionary Combat Skills Course. Maritime civil affairs forces also receive training in cultural awareness, language, communications, small boat operations, advanced marksmanship and Combat Life Saving.

MCAG team missions include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; non-combatant evacuation operations, refugee operations, assistance with restoration of local infrastructure in the aftermath of military operations or natural/man-made disasters, and regional engagement activities intended to build support for the U.S. government.

Great idea and good for both services for making it happen...

Photo caption:

Operations Specialist 1st Class Weston McAuslan and Senior Chief Electronics Technician prepare a pair of adaptive eyewear prescription glasses for a local at a Medical Civic Action Program held in Obock, Djibouti. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Regina L. Brown (RELEASED).

Friday Reading

CDR Salamander: Fullbore Friday with a tale of a father being inspired by a fallen son. Good parents often are.

Steeljaw Scribe has part 2 of the TFX saga here. Part 1 is here.

IMO to Somalia: "Do something about piracy!"

In yet another strongly worded press release- er- resolution, the International Maritime Organization, a UN body urges Somali government to act on piracy:

The IMO urged the government "to take any action it deems necessary to prevent and suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships" and ensure "that its coastline cannot be used as a safe haven from which attacks can be launched."

The government should ensure that "all ships seized by pirates and armed robbers and brought into waters within its territory are released promptly and that ships sailing off the coast of Somalia do not become victims", it said.

The resolution adopted by the 25th IMO assembly also urged foreign nations to assist Somalia in fighting piracy, notably by cooperation and sharing information.

However, there was some meat in the nut:

The resolution asked the government "to advise the UN Security Council that, in response to a previous request from the IMO Council, it consents to warships or military aircraft entering its territorial sea, when engaging in operations against pirates or suspected pirates and armed robbers."

In theory, a 1992 UN arms embargo on Somalia still bars armed warships and military planes from venturing into Somali waters, although the restriction has seen numerous violations.

UPDATE: Good roundup here.

Update on the Seabourn Spirit Latest Pirate (?) Adventure

A follow-on to this report of some possible new pirate trouble for the Seabourn Spirit cruise ship-

Was it much ado about nothing? See Cruise Critic News: Was Seabourn Spirit Encountered by Pirates ... Again?:

But this time, thankfully, appears to have been a false alarm.

Seabourn spokesman Bruce Good tells us that on the morning of November 16, outbound from Salalah, Oman, headed for Khasab, Oman, Seabourn Spirit saw three speedboats approaching portside. As is standard operating procedure, the captain sent the security officers aft and notified the regional authority, which happened to be the Royal Navy based at Dubai.

"[The Royal Navy] replied that they had an 'asset' 80 nautical miles away and asked if he required assistance," Good tells us. "[The captain] said no, that there appeared to be no threat to the ship but that it was 'good to know.' They told him to call if he needed anything. Next message from them was that they were sending a helicopter, but by then the boats were gone. The encounter had lasted just a few minutes. The helicopter did arrive, but as noted the boats were gone. There is nothing to indicate that these were pirates -- seems more likely they were curious to see what our ship was."

Better safe than...

Iran's Revolutionary Guards at Sea

An Iranian power shift in the Arabian Gulf, with the Revolutionary Guard in charge, as noted in Iran's Revolutionary Guards patrol Persian Gulf, U.S. says:

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has taken command of Iranian naval operations in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. military has revealed.

That means U.S. naval forces are operating in the same waters as an organization the United States considers a major supporter of terrorist activity.
***
Afterward, in a written statement, the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said, "Based on activities observed in the Arabian Gulf over the past several months, it appears the Iranian navy has shifted its patrol areas to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman -- leaving the IRGC navy to provide the primary Iranian naval presence in the Arabian Gulf."

The move is of concern to the U.S. Navy, which has long viewed the IRGC's forces as more antagonistic than Iran's regular navy.

Mullen said Iran made a "strategic decision" in recent months to "essentially give the entire Gulf to the IRGC over the next four or five years."

"That's a big deal, because I think part of the leading-edge challenge with Iran is the IRGC specifically," Mullen said.

For the past several months, IRGC forces have occupied a sunken barge and crane near Iraqi oil terminals at the northern end of the Persian Gulf. The IRGC is using the site as an observation post for the area, which is patrolled regularly by U.S. and coalition naval forces.
***
The IRGC was formed in 1979. Under Iran's constitution, the corps' task is to protect the revolution, which generally means that it makes sure that domestic forces don't threaten the theocratic state, said analyst William Samii of the Center for Naval Analyses. The center is a government-funded think tank for the Department of the Navy in Alexandria, Virginia.

In contrast, the conventional forces are tasked with protecting the country's borders and guaranteeing its security.

The naval move "makes perfect sense," Samii said in a telephone interview.

In recent years, the Iranian military has recognized that, in a toe-to-toe fight with the U.S. military, "they'd get squashed," Samii said.

In response, it has been focusing more on alternative tactics, in which the Revolutionary Guards excel, such as setting mine fields and using large numbers of small boats either packed with explosives or manned by personnel carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The thinking is that at least one would be able to get close enough to a large enemy military vessel to attack it, Samii said.

"Iran is trying to send a signal that it is ready for any military eventuality and that it is prepared to defend itself aggressively," he said.

On a related note, it appears the Iranian "Kilo-class" submarines have been underway, according to Navy Times:

Officials aboard the cruiser Vicksburg spotted and photographed two surfaced Iranian Kilo-class submarines in the Persian Gulf a few weeks ago, the ship’s skipper told Navy Secretary Donald Winter during a visit to the ship on Saturday.

The Russian-designed diesel-electric attack subs were tracked and photographed by sailors onboard the Mayport, Fla.-based ship, said Capt. Chip Swicker. Crew members showed Winter the photographs of the surfaced subs. The Vicksburg did not communicate with either of the subs, Swicker said.

“They watched us and we watched them,” he said.

Crew members aboard the cruiser didn’t consider the encounters hostile, although it wasn’t clear if the Iranian boats surfaced within view of the cruiser or if the U.S. warship happened to see the Iranian subs while they were already running on the surface. Iran has a fleet of three Kilo-class SSKs, according to Jane’s Fighting Ships.

Galrahn has a whole lot more on the Iranian subsurface threat here, here and Bubblehead also keeps an eye on them - as he does here.

Terrorism: It's not just for governments to worry any more

International corporations need to be thinking about counter-terrorism, as noted in Be very afraid, Lloyd's warns us from the National Post of Canada:

Yesterday, at Toronto's venerable Empire Club, Lord Levene from Lloyd's described a scary new world of terrorism and political risk directed as much against businesses as against governments.

"Right now, Lloyd's is a very significant provider of insurance for terrorism risks in Canada," he said. "The real estate, hotel and transportation sectors are amongst those we cover and the 2010 Winter Olympics is already buying terrorism coverage from Lloyd's."
***
t is not a company but a giant risk marketplace, where individuals take pieces of underwritings. Lloyd's was created to bolster the Empire by meeting the need to insure Britain's global fleet of cargo ships from ruinous losses due to piracy or war.

So, really, nothing is new. The world has always been dangerous, only more so, said Levene. While self-serving, he is also correct. The global economy means businesses are operating everywhere, including dangerous places, where local governments are inadequate and troops cannot be stationed to protect assets.

His speech was scary but important. Here are some excerpts: - "Business is as much at risk as government from terrorism and political violence." - "20% of terrorist attacks are directed against business, or between 150 to 200 incidents per year." - "After 9/11, 200,000 jobs were lost or relocated from New York City." - "In addition to 9/11 [casualties], nearly 2,000 people have died in the last decade in terrorist attacks on business worldwide."
***
- "21st-century terrorism means thinking about the worst. A fifth of global companies, and a third of larger ones, now cover this threat in their planning."

Supply chains, forward based employees...

And, yes, Lloyds does want your business, but...

What You Can Expect If You Have a Rotorhead in the Family

Pictures of helicopters at work: