MARAD Issues Warning of Potential Attacks by Extremists

BY GCAPTAIN STAFF ON MARCH 15, 2013

The following is an advisory from the US Maritime Administration in its entirety:

Date Issued: 13 March 2013

1. THIS MARAD ADVISORY PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO VESSELS OPERATING IN SUBJECT WATERS.  U.S.-FLAG OPERATORS WITH SHIPS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD THIS ADVISORY TO THEIR SHIPS BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS.

2. ELEVATED REGIONAL TENSIONS HAVE INCREASED THE RISK OF POTENTIAL MARITIME ATTACKS CONDUCTED BY EXTREMISTS.

3. RECOMMEND VESSELS AT ANCHOR, OPERATING IN RESTRICTED MANUEVERING ENVIRONMENTS, OR AT SLOW SPEEDS BE ESPECIALLY VIGILANT, AND REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.

4. VESSELS TRANSITING HIGH RISK WATERS DESIGNATED BY U.S. COAST GUARD MARSEC DIRECTIVE 104-6 (CURRENT VERSION) MUST COMPLY WITH ITS SECURITY REQUIREMENTS. ACCORDINGLY, VESSELS SHOULD CONDUCT A PRE-VOYAGE RISK ASSESSMENT AND INCORPORATE APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE MEASURES INTO THEIR VESSEL SECURITY PLANS. ADDITIONALLY, U.S.-FLAG OPERATORS SHOULD HAVE THEIR PROTECTIVE MEASURES IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO ENTERING HIGH RISK WATERS.

5. U.S. FLAG VESSELS THAT OBSERVE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO REPORT SUCH SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY OR ANY HOSTILE OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE ACTION TO COMUSNAVCENT BATTLEWATCH CAPTAIN AT PHONE NUMBER 011-973-1785-3879, CUSNC.BWC@ME.NAVY.MIL. ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS ARE ALSO TO BE REPORTED TO THE U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH 33 CFR PART 101.305.

6.  A SHIP HOSTILE ACTION REPORT (SHAR) SHOULD BE SENT TO THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIALINTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) AT HTTP://MSI.NGA.MIL/NGAPORTAL/MSI.PORTAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT/SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, INCLUDING APPARENT SURVEILLANCE BEING CONDUCTED BY SMALL VESSELS/BOATS.  REFERENCE NGA PUB 117 FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE.

7. MARAD ADVISORIES ARE PUBLISHED ON THE MARAD WEB SITE AT WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV AND THE MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION WEB SITE: HTTP://MSI.NGA.MIL/NGAPORTAL/MSI.PORTALUNDER “BROADCAST WARNINGS”, SELECT MARAD ADVISORIES TO DETERMINE MARITIME ADVISORIES THAT REMAIN IN FORCE, CONSULT THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV OR THE MOST RECENT U.S. NOTICE TO MARINERS .

8. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT CAPTAIN ROBERT FORD, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF SECURITY, CODE: MAR-420, ROOM W25-308, 1200 NEW JERSEY AVE, S.E., WASHINGTON, DC 20590, TELEPHONE 202-366-0223, FACSIMILE 202-366-3954, TLX II 710.822.9426 (MARAD DOT WSH), OR EMAIL:MARADSECURITY@DOT.GOV.

9. CANCEL ADVISORY 2012-02.

–END–

Osen-Hunter Defense Systems notes in its assessment of the alert:

MARAD states its alert was prompted by “elevated regional tensions” that have heightened the risk of attack by “extremists.” This may relate to the long-standing threat by AL QAEDA to attack U.S. Navy warships, U.S.-flagged vessels or the families of the Sea Services, particularly at “strategic chokepoints” like the Bab al-Mandab.

Ibrahim Hassan Al-Asiri (Abu Salih), notorious bomb-maker for AL QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA, was in the company of Anwar Al-‘Aulaqi the day the American-born operative met his fate. We assessed the two were discussing an attack on “multiple fronts,” and our forecast at that time of an attack to avenge Al-‘Aulaqi’s
death still stands.

The age of a threat does not matter when it comes from AL QAEDA PRIME or one of its robust affiliates. When it pledges to mount an attack, AL QAEDA will attack.

Tagged with: maritime terrorism • terrorism