10 December 2005
EXCLUSIVE: CRUISE SHIPS ARE TERROR TARGET
Cruise ships and tankers 'vulnerable to al-Qaeda'
By Bob Roberts Deputy Political Editor
URGENT action needs to be taken to stop al-Qaeda attacking cruise liners and oil tankers, Tony Blair has been warned.

Maritime security is the weak link in the defence against another 9/11-style outrage, says an international agreement on combating terror.

The document, agreed by the Prime Minister and more than 30 other world leaders, said more must be done to lessen the "serious" risk of an attack at sea.

The warning comes after pirates attacked luxury cruise liner Seabourn Spirit off the coast of Africa last month with guns and rockets.

Security sources fear the raid could inspire terrorists to launch a Christmas spectacular against a passenger ship causing mass casualties. A security source told the Mirror: "Al-Qaeda has the aim of targeting weak links in the global economy.

"Given most of the 80 million barrels of oil the world uses every day is transported by sea, shipping is a high-value, low-risk target." Experts have warned that cruise ships with up to 5,000 passengers could be sunk by a small number of terrorists.

And suicide assaults against oil tankers could be made using small speedboats packed with explosives.

Such an attack in the English Channel - the world's busiest shipping lane - would cause economic damage and be an environmental disaster.

The Euro-Mediterranean Code of Conduct on Countering Terrorism, agreed last month in Barcelona, said: "We must lessen our vulnerability to attack." EU chiefs are looking at increasing naval patrols, spot checks and tougher port controls. A major push will be made next year to get Gulf states to sign up.

The International Maritime Organisation is also to urge UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to take the issue to the Security Council.

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Originally posted by PamM:
Everyone should be more fearful of death when going about their daily business, than of any terrorist activity which is so remote.

Pam

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Absolutely. Terrorists try to spread 'terror', don't let them.

On my last QE2 cruise, I though that it was easy to make a boat impact on a hull. I think there´s a lot of underground job going on behind the scenes, and which is much more effective than excorting a liner.

However it´s something that we have been hearing for years, and hope it won´t happen. But it´s sad to say, that if they want to do it, they´ll do it. A couple could be averted, but there are security breaches in all aspects.

Those guys of Somalia have radar on their mother ship and know perfectly well where every passing vessel is. They do not target any particular ship, they go for anything that passes within their reach, and will just sit there waiting for something to either appear on their radar or be sighted from on deck.

You cannot live life afraid to turn every corner. Terrorists are few and far between. Anyone so inclined can, yeah, sit on a hill anywhere and fire at a ship, they can also target an aircraft, a stadium, anything. You cannot stop them unless you want to live in a prison or hole in the ground, and then you can still be got at.

Having a security boat around a ship is a joke. What can they do? It's all for show, real security goes on behind the scenes, we know nothing of it. A small boat coming alongside may be the chief security guy 'unmarked'. If the Capt is not worried we shouldn't be either. All sorts of surveillance we know nothing about is constantly in place.

A friend of my daughter's was struck & killed by lightning this year, I have known 5 people killed on the roads in the last 2 years, and attended a funeral last week of a lady who fell over a simple step. I do not know anyone killed by a terrorist in the last 2 years.

The world over, more people have died through natural disasters this year than terrorist acts over years.

I would think terrorists are smarter than that to blow up or bomb/attack a large cruise ship with 3000+ international passengers.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
I would hope that the world would erupt in a fury of anger that would hunt them down until they were extinguished.

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Nice utopian ideas, but I am of the opinion that you cannot extinguish 'Terrorism'. Some of today's children will be tomorrows terrorists. Terrorist can dissapear into the woodwork for years and then re-emerge and strike.

Not all of the world actually think they are 'terrorists' some people see them as 'freedom fighters' in the same way that not everyone sees the invasion of Iraq as doing the local people a favour.

quote:

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

I would think terrorists are smarter than that to blow up or bomb/attack a large cruise ship with 3000+ international passengers.

I would hope that the world would erupt in a fury of anger that would hunt them down until they were extinguished. The terrorists would 'awaken a sleeping giant' and the rest of the world; decent, civilised nations that are just waiting for an excuse to call for and intensify an all out global war against terrorism.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Nice utopian ideas...

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Hey what can I say, I live in Smalltown, USA! I call it Mayberry (from the old Andy Griffith show).

quote:

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
Hey what can I say, I live in Smalltown, USA!

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They are difficult to hit as literally, moving targets and even if they are hit they are built to survive. Terrorists need sensational TV coverage to have the effect they desire and they won't get that from hitting a cruise ship.

An explosive device on board would likewise not provide riveting TV and may not even damage the ship unduly, remember they are built to be as fireproof as possible and are constructed out of steel. They are nowhere near as vulnerable as other more spectacular targets out there.

And that's the way it is. (with appropriarte apolgies to Walter).

[ 01-04-2006: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

You miss my point.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
If a terrorist wanted to damage a cruise ship, I would think it would be very easy. I doubt they could sink one but they could cause serious damage if they blew up a small boat next to one.

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All of the Nile Boats, tourist buses and tourist sights have armed police guards. Two policeman travelled on our boat.

It's sad, but it's for the protection of tourists.

[ 01-05-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
I'm recently back from a Nile river cruise:

All of the Nile Boats, tourist buses and tourist sights have armed police guards. Two policeman travelled on our boat.

It's sad, but it's for the protection of tourists.

[ 01-05-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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This was also the case in march 2001, when I was there.
Only convoys of motorcoaches were allowed to travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel. (ours broke down, and was left alone in the desert, while the others went on).

I had my doubts on the effectiveness of the guards.

However, tourism is of more than vital importance to the Egyptian economy. The horrifying attack in Luxor on the Temple of Hatjsepsout, had as result, that tourist stayed away, and the near collapse of the tourist industry.

The terrorists aimed there not only at the foreign tourist, but mainly at the Egyptian government itself, and its ability to provide jobs, and money to their people.

I don't think you can compare Nile (cruise) tourism, with western cruising tourism. The economic impact of an attack on a cruise liner, would be far less to, say the USA and its government, than a terrorist attack in Egypt on its government.

J

[ 01-05-2006: Message edited by: Johan ]