Securing America in the Digital Age - Research Paper Example

Securing America in the Digital Age American Military # As terrorists have become greater concerns to the government and American citizens, it is important to know that they are exhausting all possible means and channels to accomplish their acts of terror. Carrying out illegal activities at sea has become a major option for them after the United States and the rest of the world have increased their aviation security. This greater presence at sea has made maritime activities more vulnerable to threats and risks. By consulting print, online, and government sources published between 2003 and 2010, this paper has found that piracy, oil smuggling, and drug trafficking, perpetuated or supported by terrorists, are the major threats to maritime security today. However, a huge threat is also imposed by poor relationships among countries since it hinders the deterrence and capture of terrorist elements. This paper found that increased international cooperation is essential to minimizing threats to maritime activities. Introduction Maritime activities are essential to trade and socioeconomic development. It is on the sea that many countries rely on the production and transportation of goods. However, countries and private industries face a worsening threat in maritime activities because of the growing and re-emerging threats at sea. These threats include terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, oil smuggling, and transportation of criminal elements and materials (Gilbride & Nash, 2004). As Gilbride and Nash note, “oceans are the largest ungoverned space on the planet,” which makes the sea a greater security challenge for the global community. In 2004, then President George W. Bush emphasized that the American government is intent on disrupting every enemy threats (as cited in “National Strategy,” 2005), including those at sea. The first step towards a safer maritime environment is the identification of threats posed by criminal entities. Most of these are related either directly or indirectly to terrorism and pose serious economic threats to every nation around the world. Deng (1997) enumerates five types of activities that fall under maritime activities: “(1) state politics, including military operations, expansion, administration, diplomacy, exile, rebellions, and popular movements against the state; (2) cultural exchange; (3) expeditions; (4) immigration; and (5) trade.” Although the five activities Deng enumerated above are all essential to national development and security, the first and the last ones create the greatest impact for any country. Hence, this paper will focus on their discussion. Furthermore, terrorism will be the most discussed topic in this paper since the studies consulted show that all the threats mentioned by Gilbride and Nash are posed by terrorist organizations, either directly or indirectly. Piracy and Terrorism Renuart and Egli (2008) cite several reasons why the United States must respond promptly and appropriately to the threats posed in the maritime environment. First, 75% of all international trade passes maritime route. Second, 95 percent of all the United States’ imports and exports enter/exit through ports. This is only natural since the United States has a shoreline of 95,000 miles where 361 commercial ports are distributed. Third, 2.4 billion tons of cargoes enter the country each year through some 8,000 foreign vessels that conduct 50,000 visits annually. On a daily basis, American ports serve 1,200 to 1,500 vessels. Such volume of trade and cargo that enter the United States make trade routes to the country more vulnerable to terrorism and piracy. On the part of terrorism, the sea is an excellent way of getting into the country because after 9/11, aviation security has become the focus, leaving many rooms for terrorists enter the country through or target sea vessels (Galletti, 2006). For pirates, the sheer volume of the vessels entering and leaving United States provides them with ample targets for their crimes. The Threats of Piracy to Maritime Activities Although piracy crimes rarely happen on waters near America, and, in fact, piracy attacks from 1994 to 2005 only occurred in the Asia-Africa water stretch, it still remains a serious threat to global progress considering the amount of losses they incur both on merchants and governments. Although those incidents happened regionally, their impacts are globally felt as will be examined later. Piracy has become an especially urgent issue because of the emergence of new piracy hotspots and its rapid growth between 2003 and 2005. To add to its worsening threat, international piracy between 2003 and 2005 resulted in greater loss of goods, vessels, and lives than the previous years (Galletti, 2006). Loss of goods, vessels, and personnel that are supposed to arrive in the United States makes piracy an issue the country should be involved with. In terms of losses in life or injury to crews, piracy has become a greater threat because of a changing pattern in pirate activities, such as the ones in Asia. Previously, pirates operating in Asia focused on robbing ships of valuables and only used intimidation to get achieve their objectives. This method of piracy, where only minimal violence is employed, was eventually called “Asian Piracy.” However, new trends in early 2000s show that piracy in Asia has become dramatically violent, with methodologies “akin to the South American or West African type of piracy” (Ghosh, 2004). New methodologies have also contributed to the worsening threat of piracy. While pirates in the past only attacked ships and rob them of valuables, today’s pirates may seize ships for ransom or seize barge trains that contain fast-selling goods such as sugar (Berg et al., 2006). An infamous example of the former is the capture of MV Semlow off the country of Somalia in 2005. The United Nations-chartered vessel was on its way to Somalia to deliver 937 tons of rice when a group of Somalian pirates on board a speed boat open fired and seized the ship (Associated Press, 2005). Seizing a ship is an even more daring piracy since it shows that attackers are will to fight while holding off a ship. Piracy is a serious threat because, from nearly becoming an obsolete crime in 2001, pirate attacks shot up to 445 in 2003 before international cooperation managed to trim down the number to 276 in 2005 (Galletti, 2006). It is notable that piracy does not occur randomly in the seas of the world. Most incidents involving piracy and armed robbery of ships happen where there are heavy commercial activities (such as in the Strait of Malacca), in regions where there are political instability (as in the case of Somalia), and in areas where maritime laws are not strongly implemented or there are none implemented at all (“National Strategy,” 2005). Recently, the United States Government initiated its anti-piracy campaign in Northeast Africa, near the piracy-infested Somalia seas, in order to prevent criminals from “interfering with maritime commerce, endangering mariners, hindering the provision of humanitarian aid to East Africa, and further destabilizing this troubled region” (U.S. Department of State, 2009). Yet the United States and its allies are most likely to find the task difficult. Piracy has become a greater threat at present times because pirates and armed vessel robbers are now equipped with more advanced communication systems (“National Strategy,” 2005) allowing them maximum coordination during their attacks. Additionally, they are equipped with faster sea crafts and more advanced weapons, making attack and escape faster and more efficient. However, the real problem in the threat of piracy lies not in the capability of enemies. Political instabilities and diplomatic relations are the main reasons why the threat of piracy is difficult to quell. Poor coordination in the international political community, makes current international maritime laws insufficient in deterring and apprehending pirates (Galletti, 2006). For instance, it was only in 2003 when a country, Singapore namely, allowed U.S. personnel to check U.S.-bound ships for bombs (Shanghai Star, 2003). This delay in international agreements regarding maritime security delays response to maritime threats and increases the likelihood of more pirate attacks. The Threats of Terrorism to Maritime Activities The reason for the increasing threat of piracy and the greater boldness of pirates can be attributed to terrorism. Modern piracy is no longer carried out by rogues who only want to make money or who want to pursue the adventures as they were so often portrayed in tales. Today, even piracy carries political and religious significance as they are already being perpetuated or supported by terrorist organizations (Koknar, 2004, p. 75). As Koknar explains, the emergence of this new form of piracy also led to the coinage of a new term for these crimes committed at sea with political motives: maritime terrorism. Maritime terrorists are way more dangerous pirates since they target more valuable vessels, often succeeding with loots ranging from $8 million to $200 million. Maritime terrorists who are backed by organizations such as the Al-Qaeda are able to loot greater sums of money because of their increased armed capabilities, better organization, and support from corrupt government officials (Koknar, 2004, p. 75). Greater risks for the U.S. and general maritime industry are posed by the awareness of terrorist groups that large, high-value vessels are soft targets. They are huge, slow moving and difficult to protect (Galletti, 2006), making them easy (“soft”) targets, allowing terrorist-pirates to take control of those vessels quickly with their swift boats and superior firepower. This is shown in the case of MV Semlow when in June 2005 the carrier vessel was successfully hijacked in just 15 minutes by pirates who approached the vessel through a speedboat (Associated Press, 2005). Big vessels like MV Semlow often carry huge cargoes such as food and oil that are important for their destinations. Disruptions in their operation or theft of their goods could have huge impacts on the localities expecting their arrival. Maritime terrorists, with loots reaching millions of dollars, provide huge amount of funds for terrorist trainings and attacks. However, the piracy-terrorism threat is not strictly a military concern. Wide-scale piracy also poses billion-dollar losses and additional costs to a number of commercial and economic industries at the local and international levels. An example on how piracy would affect international economy is provided by Koknar (2004) in the case of the Strait of Malacca. The Strait of Malacca, a chokepoint that extends 900 km from Malaysia to Singapore, serves as much as 50,000 vessels each year, carries 30 percent of the world’s trade goods, and brings in 80 percent of Japan’s oil needs. It is, more importantly, considered as the link between Asia and the rest of the world. A blockage on the strait would affect the operation of nearly half of the world’s vessels and would require them to find farther routes. As consequences, blockages caused by terrorist groups would increase the need for vessel capacity, raise the price of transporting goods worldwide, and hurt the economies of South Korea, Japan, and China, which are reliant on Gulf oil. Even without any blockage at chokepoints, Koknar (2004) argues that terrorism can still hurt the economy by raising costs for freights and cargoes. He explains that because of terrorism and terrorist-backed piracy, insurers are forced to increase the premiums of the vessels they insure. At present, it is costing the global economy $16 billion each year, with actual losses expected to be way higher if the costs of uninsured and unreported vessels are taken into account. A relatively recent example on how terrorism increased the insurance rates for vessels is the suicide bombing of oil tanker Limburg, off the coast of Yemen, in 2002. Since then, the insurance costs for vessels heading for Yemen has tripled and insurers began charging risk surcharges of $250 for every 20-foot containers and $500 for 40-foot containers. Moreover, vessels from Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand were, since then, forced to avoid Yemeni waters, increasing the costs for transporting goods to Western countries. The scenario on the Strait of Malacca show how piracy, especially those backed by terrorist groups, can severely hinder maritime activity. Aside from the costs and additional government actions these threats create, they also slow down international logistics because of the new security measures ports will have to impose. Lengthier checks could well hinder the entry and exit of goods, especially in the United States which is a prime target for terrorists. Aside from the dangers that piracy-linked terrorism poses, Groslin (2007, p. 2) contended that pure terrorism is also a major concern. Terrorists may hijack ships with the intention of inflicting huge damages at ports or coastal areas, in manners similar to what Al-Qaida terrorists did during the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks. He noted, as an example, that in 2003, 35 heavily armed hijackers took over a chemical tanker near Sumatra and ordered its captain to teach them how to operate the ship. Groslin explained that terrorists may use these ships to ram sea vessels, commercial or military to express their political and religious sentiments. Oil Smuggling Oil smuggling in itself does not pose any threat to maritime activities, despite its massive effects on the world economy. However, when linked to terrorism, it becomes a serious concern to the United States and the global community. Terrorism hinders maritime activities because, as said earlier, terrorist organizations fund pirates, who in turn, hinder trade and impose additional costs on maritime activities and security. An incident of terrorist-related oil smuggling was revealed recently in India. D’Mello (2010) reported that Indian officials recently discovered an oil-smuggling syndicate operating in the country that was run by allies of the notorious terrorist Dawhood Ibrahim. These terrorists smuggle oil from Iraq by shipping them through the United Arab Emirates before unloading them at Karachi, India. The implications of such terrorist-perpetuated smugglings on maritime activities are twofold. First, it necessitates the fortification and reinforcement of coast guards and other maritime law enforcers to prevent the smuggling of oil and their sale by terrorist organizations. This creates additional costs for concerned nations such as India. Second, the funds that terrorists derive from oil smuggling would strengthen their forces inland and offshore. This results into another cycle of threats to maritime and port security and could also encourage other terrorist organizations to carry out their crimes at sea. Smuggling-related threats are a special problem for the international community because of the complications involved in capturing criminals, especially issues regarding jurisdiction. In 2006, a group of men stealing oil from Iraqi port were able to evade arrests by utilizing national borders. These smugglers, after being detected by the Iraqi coast guard, fled on their speedboat into Iranian waters. The Iraqi coast guard was not able to catch them after being intercepted by the coast guard from neighboring Iran (Blanche, 2006). The incident shows how oil smuggling and lack of international cooperation threatens maritime activities. It not only prevents the capture of terrorists but it also how refusal of other countries to cooperate prevents the reduction of maritime threats. Narco-Terrorism Ghosh (2004) characterizes drug trafficking as an “important adjunct to maritime terrorism.” Ghosh’s description implies that drug trafficking has become an important source of income for terrorist organizations, as in the case of oil smuggling. Schmid (2005) noted that the convergence between drug and terrorist activities has led to the creation of a new term called “narco-terrorism.” Narco-terrorism is a threat to maritime activity since the trafficking of drugs by huge terrorist organizations necessitates the use of the sea to transport illegal substances. For instance, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) are using their own fleets in transporting drugs along with other commercial products to Asian countries. This increases the presence of terrorist elements at sea, making trade routes more dangerous for commercial and cruise vessels. As a consequence of increased threats, ships will have to pay higher insurance premiums to maritime insurers, just like in the case of Yemen mentioned above. Just how much the United States government is spending to stop drug trafficking in nearby waters can be hinted by the description of the U.S. Southern Command (2010): Normally, U.S. Navy, U.S Coast Guard and partner nation (British, French, Dutch, Canadian and Colombian) ships patrol the waters in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific on a year-round basis. Embarked on U.S., and at times partner nation naval vessels, is a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment that takes the lead during operations to board suspected vessels, seize illegal drugs, and arrest suspects. Also, a Navy helicopter squadron detachment is on board to assist in detection and monitoring. The efforts of U.S. military to stop drug trafficking at sea is likely to cost millions of dollars annually. Guarding maritime areas of concern not only requires sea presence but aerial support as well. The costs relating to drug trafficking are likely to be very huge, considering that the government is already losing $160 billion in annual revenue for illicit drugs that enter the country through smuggling (U.S. Southern Command, 2010). Despite government effort, there are still huge risks that drugs and terrorist entities can enter the country because containers entering and exiting ports are rarely inspected (IAGS, 2005). Conclusion All the threats to maritime activities mentioned above revolve around terrorism. Those threats are either initiated or supported by terrorist groups, who have become more active since 2001. Piracy, drug trafficking, and oil smuggling are threats to maritime activities since they signify presence of terrorists operating at sea. These activities are not only threats because they bring terrorist presence in maritime routes but also because they provide ample source of income for terrorism. As a result of greater revenue, terrorist organizations are able to carry out bigger and more dangerous operations. There are growing concerns over the security of ports because of growing maritime terrorist activities. Those activities not only make ports points of entries for terror elements but also make them likely targets for attacks. Problems are worsened by relatively weak security at ports, although awareness by the federal government has prompted law enforcers to monitor not only ports but oversea trade routes as well. References Associated Press (2005). How Pirates Hi-Jacked Us. Retrieved June 18, 2010, from News24, Africa section: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/How-pirates-hijacked-us-20051006 Berg, D. et al. (2006). Piracy—Threat at Sea: A Risk Analysis. 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Counter Drug / Counter Narco-Terrorism. Retrieved June 18, 2010, from United States Southern Command: http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/pages/counternarco.php Read More