Sea terror threat stirs Asia

Whether the commander of American naval forces in the Pacific, Thomas Fargo, meant to stir a security debate in Southeast Asia when he appeared before a United States congressional committee on March 31 is uncertain. But whether ill chosen, taken out of context by the media or a clever ploy, his comments have forced the region to reassess its vulnerability to sea-borne terrorism.

Admiral Fargo, asked what might happen in a crisis in the busy Malacca Straits shipping channel between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, spoke about the possibility of US special forces or marines being sent in small, fast boats to save the situation.

The media in the three countries seized on the off-the-cuff remarks, opening an outcry of American infringement of sovereignty that has evolved into realisation that greater protection is needed for shipping, seen as a soft target for terrorists.

In recent months, the US has been trying to convince Asian and Pacific countries of the need for greater co-operation in preventing attacks on ships and ports. Its argument has been simple - that a terrorist strike on a shipping lane such as the Malacca Straits could take lives and cause short-term damage to economies.

The ports of Hong Kong and Singapore have been cited as potential targets.

In a plan named the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI), the US envisages that by 2020 a system will be in place where all regional shipping will be tracked in a manner similar to the way aircraft are now. The first stage is for co-operation to be built by 2010, followed by increased security capacities and, lastly, the conduct of operations.