News relevant to Port Security and Under Water Mine Countermeasures http://www.orcamaritime.com Copyright 2008 Orca Maritime, Inc en-us http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#32 Without warning, a tower of seawater suddenly envelops both sides of the bow and a massive shudder passes down the length of the ship. With the deck under his feet rapidly taking on a foreboding list and reports of massive flooding in his ship’s forward compartments, the captain takes the only course of action he has left. Navy personnel are astonished to see a commercial ship entering the restricted waters of the Point Loma submarine base and grinding to a halt on the seafloor near the entrance of San Diego’s harbor. In less than an hour, a nuclear-powered attack submarine was to transit the channel now blocked by the massive cargo ship. Other warships scheduled to depart the base are also trapped. As the Coast Guard pieces together available facts, prudence requires initial treatment of the incident as a hostile act. With the possibility that a terrorist act has occurred in U.S. waters, the White House is informed. As investigators mull over the situation, the uncertainty of its cause disappears. Reports arrive that a cruise ship has been severely damaged by an underwater explosion in Seattle’s harbor and a petroleum tanker is burning in the Houston Ship Channel after a similar underwater event. Somehow, terrorists have pulled off coordinated attacks against U.S. ports and waterways––America’s soft underbelly. Coast Guard Captains of the Port quickly close all other ports and harbors from Maine to Guam to all but emergency traffic. Nothing else moves.... http://www.orcamaritime.com/images/WitzlebTruver_USNIP_Oct08.pdf 2008-10-03 Commander Robert W. Witzleb, U.S. Navy, and Scott C. Truver http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#31 The week started like this: "At 2210 Hrs on Monday, September 15, 2008, a major crude oil pipeline at Bakana Front in Degema Local Government Area in Rivers state of Nigeria belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company was destroyed with high explosives by Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) detonation engineers backed by heavily armed fighters."... http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/energywire/2008/09/oil_blues_in_the_niger_delta.html 2008-09-22 Steve Mufson http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#30 On Tuesday of the ASIS show, I had the genuine pleasure of joining a number of security professionals to hear from Laurie Thomas of the University of Findlay (located in Ohio) about the topic of maritime security. Thomas is part of the University of Findlay's School of Environmental and Emergency Management, and is involved in areas of security training, emergency operations and terrorism preparedness.... http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=17662&siteSection=387 2008-09-19 Geoff Kohl http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#28 In the worst case scenario: new funding would not be provided, so the detection tools would not be utilized, all of the technology would fall to the wayside, and the Seahawk Op center would go from an interagency operation center to a federal office building.... http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=9027695 2008-09-17 Tracey Amick, Live 5 News http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#29 Chief William McSweeney heads the Office of Homeland Security for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Known as the largest sheriff's office in the world, this agency protects 44 of the 88 cities within Los Angeles County, oversees the transit police and operates the largest jail system in the country.... http://www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/One-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others/1$43296 2008-09-01 Linda Spagnoli http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#27 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug 27, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and SRI International are deploying a suite of advanced port security technologies, trained personnel, and are executing tactical procedures as part of a homeland security experiment in the waters of Tampa Bay through Aug. 28. ... http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/tampa-bay-maritime-homeland-security/story.aspx?guid={2380DBBD-08B7-4615-B5B0-951502BC6823}&dist=hppr 2008-08-27 http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#26 Rising oil and gas prices, environmental concerns and the possibility of domestic gas shortages have drastically increased demand for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) within the United States. There are six active U.S. LNG terminals, with 40 more marine LNG facilities proposed to service the U.S. market. LNG facilities are unique and the ships transporting it are highly visible and easily identified targets. They are extremely vulnerable to a terrorist attack, which if successful, could have catastrophic results. Within the continental United States, the U.S. Coast Guard, under the Department of Homeland Security, currently has the lead responsibility for LNG tanker and marine terminal security. ... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/21/lng-port-security/ 2008-07-21 http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#25 Securing the nation’s ports represents one of the most complicated undertakings in homeland security because of the high volume of traffic and large number of parties involved. Timely, accurate data sharing is at the heart of the challenge. At the federal level, port security falls under the government’s maritime domain awareness (MDA) initiative. That effort seeks to create a common operating picture that federal, state and local agencies with maritime security responsibilities can share. The Defense and Homeland Security departments spearhead the interagency MDA effort, which also involves the Transportation Department. Locally, ports have their own security priorities. The job at this level also calls for the cooperation of multiple parties, including port employees, terminal operators, shipping companies and truckers. Most ports are near urban areas, so adjacent police, fire and emergency services agencies also come into play.... http://www.fcw.com/print/22_20/features/153039-1.html?page=1 2008-07-04 John Moore http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#24 Have British intelligence agencies uncovered an al Qaeda plot to blow up a cruise ship somewhere in the Caribbean? Says so here: The plot was uncovered on a jihadist website which British and American security services have been monitoring since early this year. ... http://www.eaglespeak.us/2008/06/al-qaeda-plot-in-caribbean.html 2008-06-15 EagleSpeak http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#23 On 14 February 2007, the Saudi Arabian arm of al-Qaeda put out a call to all religious militants to attack oil and natural gas sources around the world. Through such attacks, according to the call, al-Qaeda hopes to “strangle” the U.S. economy. Such proclamations give fodder to those who highlight the possibilities that liquefied natural gas (LNG) could be used as a lethal weapon of mass destruction. Industry officials on the other hand point out the improved security measures in place as a result of 9/11.... 2008-06-02 Cindy Hurst http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#21 Sempra LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), today announced that its Energía Costa Azul liquefied natural gas (LNG) receipt terminal in Baja California, Mexico, has successfully completed all performance testing and is ready for commercial operations. Located 14 miles north of Ensenada, Energía Costa Azul is the first LNG receipt facility on the West Coast of North America. ... http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0397377.htm 2008-05-15 CNNMoney.com http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#19 On April 26, 2008, the Islamist website Al-Ikhlas posted an article from Jihad Press, an e-journal reportedly linked to Al-Qaeda, which urges the mujahideen to establish naval terror cells. The article argues that gaining control over the seas and sea passages – especially around the Arabian Peninsula – is a vital step towards renewing the global Islamic caliphate.... http://eaglespeak.blogspot.com/2008/05/al-qaeda-calling-for-choke-point.html 2008-05-08 EagleSpeak http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#20 We observe a memo like this can change the calculus for Naval forces operating in the 5th Fleet, and should be a serious concern to all nations in the region. Lets assume that the mujahideen has heard of blue paint, a safe assumption, and decides to buy the very common fast speed boats used by both the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Pasdaran forces and pirates in Somalia. What happens when they approach in formation a small task force of US surface ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz? When we observed the incident in January involving the three US Naval vessels and the Iranian small boats, we gave credit to the intelligence and training for being prepared for tense situations but keeping their cool when faced what appears to be threatening behavior.... http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/al-qaeda-calls-for-naval-terror-cells.html 2008-05-08 Information Dissemination http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#18 The 2004 terrorist attack on the Philippine Superferry 14 resulted in the deaths of 116 people and the loss of the ship. In that case, the damage was wrought by a bomb planted inside the ferry. Increased security for ships and ferries may cause terrorists to look to other ways to cause such damage to ships and to vital shipping lanes, including those in ports or inshore areas. ... http://eaglespeak.blogspot.com/2008/05/port-security-sea-mines-uwieds-and.html 2008-05-01 EagleSpeak http://www.orcamaritime.com/securityNews.php#17 Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead recently discussed the ability of the U.S. government to conduct surveys of domestic ports to help defend the country against a potential underwater mine or improvised explosive device attack, the top Coast Guard officer told Inside the Navy in a recent interview.... article.php?id=17 2008-04-15 (Inside the Navy) Zachary Peterson