| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Coalition ships fight boredom in the Gulf |
| 2005-10-13 |
| MANAMA: For the Australian frigate HMAS Newcastle as for other coalition warships guarding Iraqi oil terminals in the northern Gulf, boredom and routine are proving more of an enemy than Al-Qaeda militants. Captain Trevor Jones, commander of the guided missile frigate, worries that "a sense of complacency" might set in, prompting his crew to let down their guard. "You're not up against a conventional threat," he explained. But "every time we come across a dhow, you've got to expect the unexpected," he said, referring to the traditional wooden boats of the region. The mission of the task force comprising three warships from Australia, Britain and the United States, in addition to four or five US Navy and Coast Guard patrol boats, is to enforce an exclusion zone of 3km around the terminals of Khor Al-Amaya and Basra and inspect any suspicious dhow. In April 2004, eight American seamen aboard a Zodiac boat tried to board a dhow heading to Khor Al-Amaya. The dhow blew up in a suicide attack which killed three US military personnel and wounded four others. The attack with an explosives-laden boat was attributed to Al-Qaeda militants given its similarity to the bombings of the destroyer USS Cole in the southern Yemeni port of Aden in October 2000 and the French supertanker Limburg, also off south Yemen, two years later. But there has since been no repeat strike, and coalition warships have not had to open fire. "This is the true measure of success," said Jones. But routine also carries risks. "Life can get quite boring," confided leading seaman Stewart Pinder, a 40-year-old Australian who has just ended a firing exercise on the Newcastle designed to keep shooters in top form during missions that can stretch several months. The Newcastle, which sailed from Sydney on May 23, is on its third tour of duty in the Gulf, where it will remain until Nov 22. "This is the last patrol," Jones said. Captain Adrian Bell, commander of the British frigate HMS Campbeltown, also put what he called "the mundanity of reality" at the top of issues that need to be resolved. "You've got to fight that battle internally to make sure you're as alert on day 17 as on day one. You can't ease off," he said. Everyone is convinced that the danger is there, even if all seems quiet. "There is a present threat, but we've nullified their ability to act," Jones said in a reference to insurgents. The fact that no attack was attempted since April last year shows "they've recognized just how hard a target this is. "It would be a very Jones said the Newcastle, which has a crew of 228 including 35 women, will be replaced next month by another frigate, the Parramatta, Canberra having committed to maintain a warship in the northern Gulf in addition to a 900-strong contingent in Iraq. "I do get the impression ... that they (Australian government) support the force up here and that they are very supportive of what we're doing here," he said. - AFP |
| Posted by:DanNY |
| #4 sounds like "Sand Pebbles" redux |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-13 20:21 |
| #3 Probably mad 'cause they couldn't make the flight attendants on lay-over.... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-10-13 19:00 |
| #2 Lol! They're in Manama, Bahrain, fer crying out loud! That's where we went for a breath of freedom. Page 3 girls. Real restaurants. Movie theaters with real first-run movies. Actual sorta normal people walking around being sorta normal. Starbucks with available chairs. Malls with music stores where the labels aren't blackened with Magic Markers cuz there was a woman's likeness on it. Same for magazines - oh, I already mention the Page 3 girls, sorry. Wymyn driving cars! A whole 'nuther WORLD! It was frickin' HEAVEN compared to SaoodiLand. These crybaby wimps make me laugh, lol. See? I told you, lol. :-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-13 12:33 |
| #1 Coming up: Sailors bored while at sea. And this just in: Water is wet. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2005-10-13 12:23 |