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| Southeast Asia |
| Singapore Hosts Proliferation Security Initiative Exercise |
| 2005-08-16 |
| SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- A first ever Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise in Southeast Asia got underway here today in the busy sea lanes of communication in South China Sea. The multinational initiative dubbed "Exercise Deep Sabre (XDS)" is the 17th in its series since it was launched two years ago and one of the largest PSI exercises involving some 2,000 personnel from the military, coast guard, customs and other agencies of 13 PSI countries -- Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. A total of 10 surface vessels and six maritime patrol aircraft are participating in the sea phase. The scenario for XDS involves a multinational interdiction of a merchant ship carrying an illegal shipment of dual-use chemicals destined for an entity of proliferation concern. Once interdicted, the ship will be diverted to Singapore for a port search by civilian enforcement agencies... The PSI establishment was announced by US President George W Bush on May 31, 2003 that would result in the creation of multinational partnerships, allowing the US and its allies to search planes and ships carrying suspect cargo and seize illegal weapons or missile technologies in high seas. |
| Posted by:Pappy |