Violence in the Middle East and South Asia continues, while southern Africa faces imminent food shortages. While these areas face immediate threats, the US concentrates on reorganizing to prevent future threats, issuing warnings ranging from travel advisories to cautions that men of middle eastern appearance attempted to rent imitation ambulances. One of the serious threats that requires immediate attention is that against international shipping interests. This weeks feature article discusses Maritime Security. (Subscribers also have access to the transcript of Admiral James Loys speech on this topic, delivered on June 19, and other source materials.)

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As always, this edition of the Newsletter is linked to selected data from the TerrorismCentral Library.

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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. Africa
2. Americas
3. Asia Pacific
4. Europe
5. Middle East
6. South Asia
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
8. Finance
9. Human Rights
10 Law and Legal Issues
11. Narco-terrorism
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Maritime Security

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. Africa

Two years of droughts and floods plus political turmoil have led to the first severe food shortages in the last ten years across much of southern Africa. This happens while African leaders, under the auspices of the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD), have developed an ambitious development plan to integrate the continent into the global economy. This requires immediate and active participation from wealthy countries, who will be reviewing this plan at the G8 meeting in Canada June 26-7.

In Angola, the peace process moves forward with huge numbers of UNITA soldiers (over 80,000) demobilized in camps. Hunger remains a problem in the camps, which are now over capacity, and some of the soldiers have begun to turn to crime as a new career.

Congo Brazzaville is undertaking the second round of elections in the national assembly. There have been widespread election irregularities in an atmosphere of persistent insecurity. UN observers are also investigating claims of a massacre by Lendus, supported by Ugandan-backed Congolese Rally for Democracy - Liberation Movement (RCD-ML), against the Hema tribe. The Hema claim that at least 2,400 were killed.

Human Rights Watch issued a report documenting "the frequent and sometimes systematic use of rape and other forms of sexual violence" in the Rwandan-occupied regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They characterize this as a war within a war.

The Eritrean government has announced it will provide the names of those killed during the war with Ethiopia to their families.

Ghana had been investing in high tech. For an overview of the situation and the challenges to move forward, read "Ghanas Digital Dilemma" in the July/August issue of MITs Technology Review.

Kenyas President Daniel arap Moi has attracted international criticism at the suggestion that the scheduled elections may be delayed.

The situation for the displaced in Liberia is exceedingly grim. Tens of thousands have been forced from their homes by the continued fighting between the government and the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). They have fled into neighboring countries and taken refugee at internal camps, stressing resources to the breaking point.

French mercenaries are alive and well and active in Africa, as we discovered again this week when a group of suspects were intercepted in Tanzania, (followed by a second group from South Africa), on their way to intervene in Madagascar. This event will not soften President Marc Ravalomananas position on former President Didier Ratsiraka. Following this news, Ravalomanana withdrew his offer of amnesty.

The situation in Madagascar is further complicated by a number of contradictory actions. While Ravalomanana dissolved his cabinet and set forward a power-sharing plan, Ratsiraka met with the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The OAU finished this summit with a call for fresh elections and froze Madagascars seat until this happened. Since Norway, Switzerland and the United States already recognized Ravalomanana as the President, it is perhaps not surprising that he chose to ignore the OAUs ruling.

We can only hope that the government of national unity can move forward quickly. The continued conflict is taking its toll on the countrys economy and security, with predictable effects on the population.

Morocco played a prominent role in the news this week when it was discovered that it has been a popular meeting place for al Qaeda members. Morocco has detained a number of suspects from various countries. These include three from Saudi Arabia (Hilal Jaber Awad al-Assiri, Zuher Hilal Mohammed al-Tbaiti, and Abdullah Musafer Ali al-Ghamdi); Abu Zubayr ("The Bear"), an experienced al Qaeda trainer; and Mohammed Haydar Zammar of Germany.

The Polisario Front, an independence movement for the Western Sahara, released 100 (of over 1,000) Moroccan prisoners in an effort to come to an agreement over the area, in a conflict that first began in 1975.

President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has narrowly survived a major confrontation with the parliament (including moves towards impeachment) over the governments mismanagement of finances, including over $100 million that was recovered from General Sani Abacha and his associates. The investigation into the financial irregularities continues, proof that widespread corruption and fraud are still endemic in the country. The Financial Times characterizes this as "financial anarchy" (Michael Peel, June 19).

Also in Nigeria, a student cult, one of some 20 secret sects, attacked Enugu University, killing 17.

Rwanda has undertaken a new approach to building peace and justice by returning to traditional village courts to try the huge backlog of genocide cases. A series on the International Court of Justice (in effect July 1) and the individual tribunals it is replacing begins in this newsletter next week.

Forces of the transitional government in Somalia have clashed again with local warlord Mohamed Shere. At least 17 have been killed so far. Amid the continued militia clashes, the refugee population, exceeding 10,000, is in dangerous straits. The UN has begun moving some to a safer location in Kenya.

South Africans who suffered under apartheid have a new ally in the form of American attorney Ed Fagan who has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation from US and Swiss corporations, including participating banks, for the misery they encouraged by doing business with the apartheid regime.

The government of Sudan and the rebel group Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) have begun peace talks. The government denies reports by Amnesty International and others that oil revenues funded the fight against the rebels.

Ugandan rebels of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) continue their attacks, most recently abducting another 24 people.

Protests - and media reporting - continue in Zimbabwe despite police intervention and arrests.

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2. Americas

Colombias President-elect Alvaro Uribe has been exploring options to end the violence in his country. He has asked for international aid and is exploring a possible role for the United Nations.

One of the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Carlos Bolas, was arrested and has been extradited to the US on drug-trafficking charges.

Cubas President Castro launched a petition to name the socialist state inviolable. It was signed by nearly everyone.

At the Mayan ruins of Tikai, Guatemalas largest tourist site, some 8,000 paramilitaries blockaded the area, trapping 57 foreign tourists, as they protested that they had not been paid for their efforts as paramilitaries for the government during its civil war.

In Mexico, security files related to the student massacres during the protests in 1968 have been released and are being investigated to help gain understanding of the tragic events that occurred.

Massive protests in Peru took place over the planned privatization of two power generating plants. As the riots spread, President Alejandro Toledo declared a state of emergency. The sale of the utilities has been postponed and the interior minister has resigned.

In the United States, President Bush is developing anew doctrine of preemptive force against any alleged dangers. He has given the green light to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to use lethal force to kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. No new plans for other countries in the Middle East have yet been forthcoming.

On the home front, Bush has submitted a more detailed plan for the proposed Homeland Security department for development by the Congress. This does not address the open issues of reconciling the current CIA, FBI, and NSA security agencies, and the now well-know problem of information analysis and collaboration.

Many US officials have now said that al Qaeda is even more dangerous than before because the mid-tier members have more independent authority and have been acting in highly distributed and independent operations that now seem to include, for example, the recent attacks in Pakistan and Tanzania.

Alerts were issued regarding men of Middle-Eastern appearance attempting to buy imitation ambulances, threats against synagogues or Jewish schools, and the use of fuel tanker trucks as weapons. In response to these warnings, Rabbi Yakove Lloyd of the militant Jewish Defense League, has started armed patrols in New York.

The US Immigration and Naturalization Service has begun to use a new database to track foreign students.

In conjunction with the continued detention without cause, secret hearings, and expanded security powers under the US Patriot Act, civil rights activists have stepped up their activities.

Protests in Venezuela are increasing, but President Hugo Chavez is standing his ground, calling for a referendum on his performance for next year.

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3. Asia Pacific

In Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader, has been allowed to visit outside Rangoon, in a successful test of her new freedom from house arrest.

A number of Burmese Muslims of the Rohingya minority have asked for asylum in Malaysia, fearing continued persecution if they are forced to return to Burma.

Chinas balancing act over refugees from North Korea continues, with more allowed to accept asylum in South Korea.

East Timor is welcoming home their refugees. About 19,000 have returned so far this year, though some 30,000 are still in refugee camps on the Indonesian side of the island.

The human rights court in Indonesia investigating the 1999 massacres in East Timor continues, with testimony that soldiers and police killed 22 who had taken refuge in a church.

In the Aceh province of Indonesia, police have killed 4 and detained one independence rebels with the Free Aceh Movement following the deaths last week of two politicians. The rebels then ambushed and killed another six soldiers.

Four Indonesian sailors were kidnapped in the Philippines. One escaped quickly, but there is no news yet of the others.

Thousands of protestors in Kyrgyz are calling for the resignation of the president, dropping of charges against opposition politicians, and punishment of those who killed five opposition supporters last March.

In Malaysia, long-term Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad resigned from all positions, then rescinded the resignation less than an hour later. Fadzil Noor, head of the fundamentalist Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) has died. Most of the militants recently arrested for alleged connections with al Qaeda were members of his party.

Malaysias amnesty for illegal immigrants ends on July 31. Under the new laws immigrants face heavy fines, jail terms, and whipping.

Conditions in North Korea are deteriorating, with widespread hunger and a growing number of refugees heading south and west.

Papua New Guineas elections are a shambles, with four killed and dozens injured, and widespread voting irregularities.

The Philippine government claims that Abu Sabaya, founder of the Abu Sayyaf, has been killed in a gunfight. His body, last seen in the water, has not been found. Several other alleged members of the group were arrested. Elsewhere, 23 were killed in a shootout between police and a Christian cult, the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA). The PBMA leader, Ruben Ecleo, is suspected of murdering his wife.

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4. Europe

Immigration dominated the agenda in Europe this week. Questions about expansion and other foreign policy issues were tabled to allow the European Union Summit, held in Spain, to concentrate on immigration questions. The leaders of the EU countries agreed to cooperate on border operations and communication, establish common policies, and negotiate with other countries to ease repatriation. But for now there will be no common border police and no major crackdown on the third party countries. Human traffickers will be targeted.

EU foreign ministers have also agreed to continue financial aid for the Palestinian Authority and are planning to open trade and political talks with Iran.

Joint NATO/Georgian military exercises are under way.

Germany continues their investigation of al Qaeda links, focusing on the whereabouts of Mohamed Heidar Zammar (arrested in Morocco and now in custody in Syria) and Mahmoun Darkazanli, whose Darkazanli Import-Export Company was one of the first to have its assets frozen for suspected links to terrorist financing.

Italys Interior Minister, Claudio Scajola, reported that authorities were monitoring over 500 suspected militant Islamists from al Qaeda, the Salafi Group for Call and Combat, the Tunisian Combatant Group, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and Lebanese Hezbollah.

The Russian Parliament is close to passing a strong security bill. Similar to the concerns raised in other countries, there are fears of it being used to suppress legitimate dissent.

ETA has continued its bombing campaign, targeting tourist destinations. Both car bombs and package bombs have been used in the four attacks this week, resulting in a number of injuries.

Turkish forces are replacing those from the UK as peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

In the UK, plans to extend phone and email surveillance and record access have been postponed following widespread privacy concerns.

In Northern Ireland, the start of the marching season occurs while tensions are already high. Violence continues, as do calls for investigations of both the IRA and of security forces. The question of collusion between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries in the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane remains open, and new calls have been raised for in inquiry.

Following Nelson Mandelas visit to the Scottish jail in which the Lockerbie bomber, Al-Megrahi, is held, a Libyan delegation has rejected the suggestion that he be moved.

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5. Middle East

Al Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith has announced that Osama Bin Laden is alive and well and will soon be making another video statement. In his remarks, Ghaith takes credit for the April synagogue bombing in Tunisia. Because of his statements, Kuwait has stripped Abu Gaith of his citizenship.

After another suicide bombing from a young man in the occupied Gaza Strip, Israel launched a series of helicopter strikes and sent forces into the West Bank.

Iraq and the UN are discussion a return of arms inspectors. President Saddam Hussein says he wants all sanctions lifted before the inspectors are allowed in. Iraq has also poured scorn on US President Bushs authorization for the CIA to kill Hussein. Massoud Barzani of the Kurdish Democratic Party has said they will not participate in any US "regime change" actions.

Israel has suffered a renewed outbreak of suicide bombings, including a bus bomb that killed 20 and injured more than 50, many of them schoolchildren. Despite immediate retaliation, there was another bomb the next day, and the next, and the next.

In retaliation, Israel has attacked purported targets inside the Palestinian camps, violently reoccupied Palestinian territories, launched incursions to round up militant suspects, and is proceeding with the building of a fence to separate the West Bank.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have, arrested 11 Saudis, a Sudanese, and an Iraqi allegedly linked to al Qaeda.

A car bomb in Riyadh has killed Simon Veness, a British banker. This is the latest in a string of similar attacks. None have been solved.

In the occupied West Bank Walid Sbeh, of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers as he was driving in his car. Israeli troops have moved into Nablus and other West Bank towns in an indefinite military occupation until suicide bombings are ended.

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6. South Asia

Afghanistans loya jirga wrapped up this week, with Hamid Karzai elected president, a new cabinet (still incomplete) with a full complement of warlords, reflecting both the history of the country and its remaining political instability and insecurity. UK peacekeepers are being replaced with Turkish troops.

Communal violence has continued in India. Three were killed and twelve injured in Maharashtra. Thousands of Muslims sheltering in camps in Gujaret have been told that the camps will close and they must return home. Nagaland, home of Indias longest-running separatist movement, has decided to withdraw charges against rebel leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Issac Chisi Swu and TH Muivah.

Tensions in Kashmir remain high and violence continues to erupt, with cross-border shelling and militant gun battles that continue to kill. Although diplomatic moves officially signaled a degree of reconciliation, no troops at the border have been withdrawn.

Nepali authorities claim to have killed at least 50 Maoist rebels.

In Pakistan, sectarian attacks have killed three. Popular support for Islamic militants remains high. It is now believed that a fertilizer bomb was loaded on a pickup truck and driven by a suicide bomber for the attack on the US Consulate in Karachi.

Peace in Sri Lanka continues on a jagged road. But Tamil Tiger leaders have assured the UN they will not recruit children under 18 years of age - an improvement for a group that had previously included those as young as 12.

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7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Last week, Microsoft issued four security bulletins, including two rated as critical. They topped this off by shipping the Nimda worm in a Korean .NET development file.

There is growing concern that Islamic militants are collaborating to launch a major cyberterrorist attack. High incidence of hacktivist attacks, such as that seen recently at the height of tensions over Kashmir, are the thin edge of the wedge.

New security tools that mimic the human immune system are described in the Economist of June 22, "Inoculating the Network".

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8. Finance

The Popular Bank of Cyprus is being investigated for links to companies used by Slobodan Milosevic to fund military equipment during the Balkan wars.

The United Arab Emirates has announced that they have made arrests of people involved in money laundering, but no further details have been released. These are the UAEs first ever arrests for money laundering.

The UK has also had success in breaking up a money laundering ring. Thirteen people have been convicted as part of a cocaine smuggling ring involving people from Colombia, Ecuador and the UK.

The Washington Post reports that al Qaeda has evaded the asset freeze by putting money into gold, diamonds and other commodities. (A feature article on blood diamonds will be out soon.)

Hungary, Israel, Lebanon and St Kitts were removed from the Financial Action Task Force list of non-cooperative countries in the fight against money laundering.

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9. Human Rights

Immigration dominated the agenda in Europe this week. Questions about expansion and other foreign policy issues were tabled to allow the European Union Summit, held in Spain, to concentrate on immigration questions. The leaders of the EU countries agreed to cooperate on border operations and communication, establish common policies, and negotiate with other countries to ease repatriation. But for now there will be no common border police and no major crackdown on the third party countries. Human traffickers will be targeted.

The US continues to be strong in its opposition to the International Criminal Court (article next week!). It now wants to exempt all peacekeepers from possible prosecution, and is threatening to remove its personnel (about 700) if this assurance is not given.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says that human trafficking has replaced drugs as the largest illegal trade in the world.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has published new information on the worlds Least Developed Countries. In these 49 countries, more than 80% of people have less than two dollars a day and qualify as poor. In Africa, 65% have less than one dollar a day and are living in extreme poverty. - a number that has doubled in the last three decades.

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10. Law and Legal Issues

A number of suspected al Qaeda members have been arrested in Morocco. These include three from Saudi Arabia (Hilal Jaber Awad al-Assiri, Zuher Hilal Mohammed al-Tbaiti, and Abdullah Musafer Ali al-Ghamdi); Abu Zubayr ("The Bear"), an experienced al Qaeda trainer; and Mohammed Haydar Zammar of Germany (now in custody in Syria).

US Attorney General Ashcroft has petitioned the Supreme Court to allow secret deportation hearings for the people who were arrested and are still detained following the September 11 attacks. He claims that national security would be compromised by the disclosure of any information at all.

The International War Crimes Tribunal is in discussion with Bosnia-Herzegovina authorities to investigate the use of local courts to prosecute war crime cases.

Carlos Bolas, one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was arrested with a false passport in Suriname, returned to Colombia, and extradited to the US where he will be arraigned on drugs-trafficking charges.

Yaser Esam Hamdi, an American citizen, remains in custody without charges as an "enemy combatant" while the US government insists it has absolute authority to determine these issues and his attorney insists that he continues to have the rights of a citizen.

Mohamad Hammoud and his brother Chawki Hammoud were found guilty of sending profits from their cigarette smuglging operation to "provide material support" to the Islamic militant group Hezbollah.

John Walker Lindhs (the "American Taliban") request for a change in venue to get a fairer trial was rejected. The motions to throw out statements made while Lindh was confined in Afghanistan in violation of his civil rights are being reviewed.

Zacarias Moussaouis motions asking to be released and questioning the judges mental state were unsealed, after being rejected by the judge.

Darko Mrdja, in court at the Hague tribunal for Yugoslavia, has pleaded not guilty to organizing a massacre when he was a police commander during the 1992 Bosnian war.

Richard Reid, on trial for trying to ignite explosives in his shoes, will have his confession, made after receiving sedatives, accepted as evidence. The judge decided he was not impaired at the time he made the statement.

Juan Manuel Salgado, Luis Edwardo Hurtado, Chantana Platt, Pattama Potchapornkul, Benjamin Colorado, Ruben Dario Perez, Suresh Chopra, Mario Giraldo Lopez, Yolanda Roa Jiminez, John Serna Munera, and Byron Carrera are among those convicted of their participation in a money laundering scheme that funneled profits from the sale of cocaine.

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other defendants in the Daniel Pearl murder case are claiming that evidence was manufactured and forced by the use of torture so that Pakistani authorities could appease the US.

Nabil Soliman, an Egyptian living in the US, was deported to Egypt for his role in the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

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11. Narco-Terrorism

Previously indicted in the US, Carlos Bolas will now stand trial. He was arrested in Suriname, returned to Colombia and now faces charges of conspiring to manufacture and import cocaine.

Thirteen people have been convicted in the UK as part of a cocaine smuggling ring involving people from Colombia, Ecuador and the UK.

The New York Times Magazine of June 23 features "Heroin: The sleek new business model for the ultimate global product", by Matthew Brzezinski.

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12. Transportation

The US Transportation Security Agency is examining the possibility of tightening security for large private charter flights.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology issued its report for improving airport security, calling for a major overhaul of the information technology needed to support air transportation.

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Development and testing of US missile defense systems is underway, now with all results classified and no longer subject to the same public scrutiny that had accompanied them previously.

A US Federal Appeals Court has refused an injunction to ban storage of nuclear waste in South Carolina, but it said it will hear the case in court in early July.

A federal advisory panel has reviewed the smallpox vaccination policy for the country and its recommendation is to be very selective in giving the vaccine only to those at high risk. This is because the current vaccine is not as safe as others used now and, particularly because there are now more people with compromised immune systems, would result in significant vaccination-related deaths against the unlikely possibility of an attack.

New evidence in the investigation of the US anthrax attacks of last fall indicates the virus was manufactured in the last two years.

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14. Recently Published

Brzezinski., Matthew. "Heroin: The sleek new business model for the ultimate global product", in New York Times Magazine, June 23, 2002

Caldicott, Helen. Start of a Chain Reaction. New Press.

Collin, Matthew. Radio Free Belgrade.

Economist. "Inoculating the Network: Network security: Keeping networks secure from intruders is becoming one of the hottest bits of the computer business. As companies begin to realize how vulnerable they are, intrusion-detection firms are honing a new set of security tools that mimic the bodys immune system". The Economist, June 22, 2002

Lifsher, Marc. "Going Straight: Colombian Guerillas Now in the Juice Biz" in the Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2002

Marshall, Andrew. The Trouser People: A Story of Burma - in the shadow of the empire. Counterpoint.

Oren, Michael B., Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Oxford University Press.

Peel, Michael. "Secrecy Surrounds Nigerias 'slide into financial anarchy'" in the Financial Times, June 19, 2002.

Stiglitz, Joseph. Globalization and Its Discontents. Norton.

Wilson, James. "Colombia: Pressure on Second-Largest Guerilla Group: ELN May Attempt Dignified Exit from Years of Revolution". Financial Times, June 18, 2002

Zachary, G. Pascal. "Ghanas Digital Dilemma: Bridging the digital divide in this African nation isnt just a matter of computer-equipment care packages and free Internet accounts". Technology Review, July/August 2002.

For an idea of what is coming up for the September 11 anniversary, read Dann McDornans article "September 11 Incorporated" in Publishers Weekly, June 17, 2002.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Maritime Security

Shipping is a dangerous business. As if suffering the vagaries of the ocean were not sufficient threat, man has added a number of activities that pose security threats. These include smuggling, illegal immigration, piracy and sabotage.

Prior articles have discussed immigration, human trafficking, and narcotics. For shippers, piracy also continues to be a big problem. High risk areas include Guatemala, Indonesia at the Malacca Strait, Singapore at the Singapore Strait, Somalia, and the South China Sea (Spratly Islands). By no small coincidence, these overlap with areas of significant terrorist activity.

Since the attacks of September 11, attention has been focused on the newer risks of terrorism and cyberterrorism against critical infrastructure components, including maritime interests. This article looks at the scope of the issue, possible threats, and risk mitigation strategies related to maritime security.

The Size of the Problem
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Around 90 per cent of international commerce is transported inside cargo containers on board ships. In 1997, the worldwide capacity for merchant shipping was 4 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).

The US is one of the largest shippers in the world. More than 16 million containers arrive in the United States by ship, truck, and rail every year. More than half of all goods that enter the United States arrive by oceangoing cargo containers. In 2001, U.S. Customs processed more than 214,000 vessels and 5.7 million sea containers. Containers come in at the rate of 2,000 an hour.

The logistics of policing this is staggeringly complex. Consider:

"The United States maritime borders include 95,000 miles of open shoreline, 361 ports and an Exclusive Economic Zone that spans 3.5 million square miles. The United States relies on ocean transportation for 95 percent of cargo tonnage that moves in and out of the country.

Each year more than 7,500 commercial vessels make approximately 51,000 port calls, and over six million loaded marine containers enter U.S. ports. Current growth predictions indicate that container cargo will quadruple in the next twenty years." (US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure)

Terrorist Threats
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Given the scale of maritime activities, it is easy to see that if there was a terrorist attack using a sea container and the worldwide movement of containers stopped, the economic impact could be devastating.

Potential terrorist activities could include such things as:

Potentially more frightening (if only because it would be so easy to do) is the possibility of hijacking the information network in a cyberterrorist attack. On board ship, IT systems are used for everything from basic communication to surveillance and navigation.

Global Positioning Systems, satellites, and other wireless communication options are vulnerable to attack. Their functions are so closely interrelated that a breach in one could have an impact on each connection to it. At its simplest, it could delay a ships schedule, creating problems at landing. More extreme attacks could completely disable the craft. Without accurate communications in place, the entire crew could be lost at sea.

Risk Mitigation Strategies
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Mitigation strategies involve both policy initiatives and tactical security implementation.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations is the main international body responsible for establishing international standards, promoting safety, and preventing pollution.

Following the attacks of September 11, the IMO adopted a resolution, to "review of measures and procedures to prevent acts of terrorism which threaten the security of passenger and crews and the safety of ships". IMO Committees reviewed the instruments in force to see if updates or additional measures were needed.

The IMO is also working with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to develop an international plan to secure containerized cargo. The IMO and WCO would cooperate to expand inspections, make threat assessments, and increase cooperation throughout the supply chain. They are also supporting the US initiative to improve information. This is embodied in the Container Security Initiative (CSI).

CSI is the main US initiative for securing international shipments. It attempts to:

To implement this, the U.S. is establishing agreements with the largest trading partners to put customs officials in place in the originating countries to pre-screen containers, rather than waiting until they reach the end of their journey. To date, agreements with Canada and Singapore are in place. Rotterdam, L'Havre and Antwerp are close behind. They are beginning with the 20 largest ports, and will likely put in place a certification system to indicate which ports have implemented the security guidelines. This will help improve security, and may also offer a competitive advantage to those ports that comply with the standards.

In addition to this international effort, practical measures are also necessary. These include:

Data collection is a key area. Enough information needs to be provided to help develop a risk profile of the containers for possible further examination. (Even if practicable, attempting to physically examine each container would cause monumental delays.) Information generated by shippers, owners, forwarders, and so on, needs to be consolidated, in order to be analyzed in a meaningful way.

It is also of critical importance to know with whom you are dealing. Under current US Transportation Safety Administration rules, only known shippers are allowed and full documentation (vessel name, country of registry, call sign, official number, registered owner, the operator, classification society, description of the cargo, and the departure date and name of last port) must be provided. Required details further include a listing of all persons on board (crew and passengers) with birth date, nationality, and passport or mariners document number.

While these are important steps, without improved technology to facilitate data gathering, management, and validation, they will not be possible. And without appropriate privacy protection, they will not be viable.

There are a number of other interesting technologies on the horizon or being modified to handle greater volumes. These include:

All of this is very expensive. But the international maritime industry seems to uniformly agree that it is urgently necessary, and the potential rewards far outweigh the high costs.

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