Where will the next big terrorist strike occur? Experts are predicting it
could happen in a little known but vital waterway, the Strait of Malacca off
the coast of Indonesia.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Asian Edition, "Lloyd's
List International, the International Maritime Bureau, the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development, Aegis Defense Services and a host of
other maritime and security organizations have begun to warn that al Qaeda
and its local Southeast Asian affiliates may be planning attacks that would
render the Bali bombings of October 2002—al Qaeda's biggest attack
since Sept. 11 in the United States—small potatoes" (Jan. 27, 2004).
More than 50,000 ships pass through the strait each year, carrying half
the world's supply of crude oil. Attacks in the strait—which narrows
to 1.5 miles wide at some points—account for more than half the piracy
in the world.
Fears are that a hijacked ship could be sunk in the strait, thus blocking
one of the main shipping lanes of the world. Ships have already been hijacked
as "trials" and captains forced to teach hijackers how to guide
and maneuver ships before being released.
These training exercises could be a prelude to a ship carrying liquefied
natural gas being run into a port, such as Singapore, then being set off as
a bomb. The result would be "more devastating than any bomb" and
"too horrible to think about," said an official with the International
Tanker Operators Association.
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
It is one of the world's critical sea gates or choke points. Once part
of the British Empire, it was a strategic pass for both naval and merchant
ships, the guardian and supplier of the empire. After World War II American
power replaced the British in the region. Today this vital passageway remains
a key factor in shipping for Asia, especially China.
