Article

2004-06-07 Southeast Asia

Yar! Sea piracy could cripple world trade: Singapore

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Posted by .com 2004-06-07 1:46:19 AM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Try and stop me.

Posted by Ragnar Danneskjold 2004-06-07 9:39:10 AM|| 2004-06-07 9:39:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 âIf terrorists were to seize a tanker, a large ship, and sink it into a narrow part of the Straits it will cripple world trade. It would have the iconic large impact which terorrists seek,â Tan said.

It wouldn't be visually stunning which is what they seek, but it would be a pretty good tactic.

âWe are concerned that terrorists may seize control of a tanker with a cargo of lethal materials, LNG (liquefied natural gas) perhaps, chemicals, and use it as a floating bomb against our port,â Tan said.

That takes care of the visually stunning requirement.

Posted by Zpaz 2004-06-07 10:11:56 AM|| 2004-06-07 10:11:56 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 It's not clear to me why we need Malaysia's cooperation to deal with piracy on the high seas. It'd be nice, sure, because then we could nail some of the pirates within their territorial limits. But absent their help, the US Navy has every right under international law and the law of the sea to capture and hang pirates on the spot.

Time to varnish the yardarm and break out a new rope!

Posted by Steve White 2004-06-07 10:35:32 AM|| 2004-06-07 10:35:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Maybe we need a 21-st century Q-ship: get a VLCC, pump her full of seawater so she looks loaded, and fit her out with .50-cal M2HBs and maybe a Vulcan or two, cleverly disguised, and a platoon of Marines well-versed in the "repel boarders" drill.

Posted by Mike 2004-06-07 10:41:30 AM|| 2004-06-07 10:41:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 The US does not need the approval of any country to police international waters

Posted by Dan 2004-06-07 10:42:14 AM|| 2004-06-07 10:42:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 The Straits of Malacca are not international waters. See the whole boring story here.

Posted by Zpaz 2004-06-07 10:54:23 AM|| 2004-06-07 10:54:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Mike---Are you suggesting "Trolling for Pirates?"

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-06-07 11:09:05 AM|| 2004-06-07 11:09:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Ragnar, who is John Galt?

Posted by Zpaz 2004-06-07 11:12:39 AM|| 2004-06-07 11:12:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Make these scurvy dogs walk the plank, savvy?

Where's Orlando Bloom and the guy who played Commodore Norrington when you need them . . . ?

Posted by The Doctor 2004-06-07 11:49:27 AM|| 2004-06-07 11:49:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Definitely a job for Q-ships. Cheap to outfit too. Couple of .50 AA rigs, a couple ofhidden, pop-up Bofors emplacements, and miniguns - lots of miniguns.

I think torpedoes would be a little over-the-top, though, don't you?

Posted by mojo 2004-06-07 5:15:03 PM|| 2004-06-07 5:15:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 What would really put the icing on the cake for a Q-ship (though also a little over the top) would be a MK75 76mm/3 inch gun (10 nm, 80 rpm).

Posted by Chemist 2004-06-07 7:41:18 PM|| 2004-06-07 7:41:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Malaysiaâs recent rejection of US offers to assist in policing the shipping lanes seems either foolish or suspicious.

Ah, this is where I have some experience. The Malaysians are exhibiting a combination of playing to domestic politics, distrust of their neighbors (esp. Indonesia) and an extremely peverse pride.

The Malaysians have, IMHO, the second or third best equipped and professional navy in the region. They (and the Thais) knew they had a growing piracy problem back in the early 90s. Even low-level 'professional' conversations about the problem ran into the same wall.

As far as the nature of piracy is concerned: at the risk of repeating myself, it's one of several things. Somebody has realized there's money to be made and the pros have moved in, or it's become a para-military operation. There are reports that members of the Indonesian Navy are 'moonlighting'.
While it's most likely Islamists, I wouldn't discount a certain large Asian neighbor either.

Re the Q-ship. Though a "satisfying" solution, it's not really a good idea. Given the current political situation, it's unlikely to happen. If it did continue, it'd have to be a US or US/Singaporean operation to maintain operational security, and then only able to operate in restricted area. There are other, evolutionary, problems that I won't tie up bandwidth over. It woudl make more sense to go with a sting operation than a Q-ship.

Posted by Pappy 2004-06-07 11:24:12 PM|| 2004-06-07 11:24:12 PM|| Front Page Top

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