Security Tightens in Manila in Fear of Bombing Campaign

Security in and around Metro Manila has been tightened amid reports that extremists are planning a bombing campaign against civilian targets, security officials said Monday. Two bomb makers from the Rajah Solaiman Movement, a group of Christian converts to Islam, were believed to be hiding on the outskirts of Manila and could be constructing bombs, said the city’s military commander, Brig. Gen. Ben Dolorfino.

Fighting in Mindanao Intensifies

Officials said the fighting had escalated even as they announced that government troops found a camp believed belonging to the bandit Abu Sayyaf group in Patikul town in Sulu.
They said 30 members of the Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah group were still holed up in Sulu and fighting side by side with the Abu Sayyaf.

From Voice of America: Pirates May Be Popular in Books and Movies, But Piracy Remains a Threat

In the first three months of 2006, 61 successful or attempted pirate attacks were reported. Fifty-six such attacks were reported in the same time period the year before. Still, many pirate attacks go unreported each year.

In 2005, 35 pirate attacks were reported in Somalia. The International Maritime Bureau says the pirates target both passenger and cargo ships.

In March of 2006, Somali pirates seized 20 Filipino seamen on an oil ship at a southern Somali port. The pirates demanded money from the ship owners for their release. The men were released in July following negotiations for their freedom.

Reports say modern pirates use high-speed motor boats. Most pirates force their way on to the ships, take what they want and are gone within minutes. Sometimes they kill or injure crew members.

Modern-day pirates are difficult to catch. They return to small rivers or ports where there is little or no law enforcement. In some areas, pirates pay local officials to hide them from the law. And many times it is difficult to take any legal action against pirates because their attacks may take place outside any country’s territorial waters.

Pirates are still a major concern for most countries. International efforts continue to catch them and bring them to justice.

LNG Facility Intruders go Unnoticed for Five Days

From the Boston Globe
By Raja Mishra

KeySpan guards failed to detect two intruders using wire cutters to break into the company’s liquefied natural gas facility in Lynn last week, a security breach that went undetected for five days because company officials failed to review a surveillance tape that captured the incident, state officials said yesterday.

State officials were sharply critical of the company’s actions in guarding the massive LNG tank, which is considered a potential terrorist target, and initiated an investigation that could result in tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Once KeySpan officials saw the break-in on security camera footage on Monday, they immediately informed state law enforcement officials, who ordered heightened security at natural gas sites across the state, though they said there is no evidence the intruders were terrorists.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, LNG facilities became a focus of concern because of their vulnerability as potential terrorist targets.

State officials consider the facilities critical infrastructure because they satisfy important energy needs and also present a potential explosion risk. Still, the state leaves responsibility for security to the various private firms that run the facilities, with assistance from local police departments.
Although KeySpan said that no damage was done in Lynn, the incident raised new concerns about whether security there and at other LNG storage facilities is adequate.

“I am very troubled by this,” said US Representative Edward J. Markey, a Malden Democrat who is on the House Homeland Security Committee. “This incident raises serious questions about the adequacy of the perimeter security and surveillance monitoring in place at this facility.”

He called on the Romney administration to review security at LNG sites across the state.
Speaking for the administration, Michael Coelho, chief of staff of the state Executive Office of Public Safety, said local police departments in every town and city with a natural gas facility have been notified of the Lynn incident. He refused to list their locations.

The local police departments were ordered to increase the frequency of patrols at the sites, said Coelho. State officials also called the private companies that run the facilities to emphasize the need for tight security, he said.

State regulatory officials are investigating KeySpan’s Lynn facility to determine whether the energy firm failed to meet its security obligations, which could lead to fines of up to $50,000 for each day any lapses were present.

Each company is responsible for developing a security plan, which must be approved by the state Department of Telecommunications and Energy. The agency inspects the sites every two years to ensure compliance. But there are no plans to turn over any security responsibilities to state or local law enforcement, said an agency spokeswoman.

“It is private property, so the companies are responsible for security,” said Nicole St. Peter.
KeySpan owns nine LNG facilities around the state, with eight other private companies owning the rest, though state officials would not supply the total number of LNG facilities in the Bay State for security reasons.

In June, 15 undocumented immigrants working for a cleaning subcontractor were arrested after they took a shortcut through the Exxon-Mobil LNG facility in Everett without identification.
It remains unclear what security provisions were in place at the Lynn facility at the time of the break-in and why it took five days for the company to find out about it.

“We’re not happy about that at all, that there was that much of a delay,” Coelho said. “Internally something happened there that delayed notification. We’re investigating the matter.”
KeySpan officials refused to describe the facility’s security or the timeline of last week’s incident, citing security concerns.

“All of the issues with the timeline are under external and internal investigation, and I can’t comment any further,” said KeySpan spokeswoman Carmen Fields.

Asked about the facility’s security measures, Fields said: “We can’t talk specifically about our security measures before, during, or after the incident. I can say we have thoroughly evaluated the incident and are in close cooperation with all the relevant public security agencies and are cooperating fully.”

Proposals for expanded use of liquefied natural gas have proliferated in recent years as concerns about energy shortages and costs have grown. But many communities have opposed proposals to build new tanks or station natural gas tankers offshore.

The Lynn tank, built in 1971, holds more than 12,000 gallons of super-cooled liquefied natural gas. If released, it becomes a transparent and flammable gas.

Unhappy Lynn officials plan to question KeySpan officials about the incident at the City Council’s next meeting on Sept. 12.

“I am not pleased with Key-Span,” said Councilor Loretta Cuffe-O’Donnell. “They have to come in with a new security plan.”

Lynn officials said teenagers have occasionally trespassed, and though security was stepped up after Sept. 11, some local officials said an upgrade may be in order.

Cuffe-O’Donnell and other councilors interviewed also said that KeySpan officials have been difficult to reach and have often refused to answer questions.

The security cameras at the Lynn facility captured the incident Aug. 16. The tape shows two intruders snipping through a perimeter chain-link fence with wire cutters, then climbing the tank, state officials said. They declined to release other details. No arrests have been made.
“What good are cameras if you’re not watching them?” asked Councilor Peter Capano, who represents the district containing the KeySpan site.

Foreign Military help Needed to Secure Malacca Strait

From: INQ7.net

Gurpreet Khurana, research fellow at India’s Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, said the 2003 seizure of a tanker off Indonesian water by 10 armed men to learn how to steer a ship had led to anxieties it could be a “precursor of a maritime 9/11.”


Joint patrols by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are inadequate to secure the Malacca Straits if there is a major terrorist strike and foreign military help should be considered, experts said Tuesday.The three states straddling the strategic waterway launched coordinated maritime patrols in 2004 and air patrols last year after prodding from Washington, which feared terrorists could link up with pirates to blow up an oil tanker or use it as a floating bomb.

However, the three nations rejected foreign military help. Malaysia and Indonesia shot down a US proposal in 2004 to send an elite unit to help secure the pirate-infested strait.

The overall capabilities of the three littoral states are “evidently inadequate to provide a lasting security in the strait,” which remains a vulnerable maritime choke point, said Gurpreet Khurana, research fellow at India’s Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis.

He said the 2003 seizure of a tanker off Indonesian water by 10 armed men to learn how to steer a ship had led to anxieties it could be a “precursor of a maritime 9/11.”

Some analysts viewed it as equivalent to terrorists who took flying lessons at Florida flight school before the 9/11 attack in the United States five years ago.

“It may be necessary for the littorals to contemplate guidelines — Standard Operating Procedures and Rules of Engagement — for joint patrols in the straits,” Khurana said in a paper presented at a regional maritime conference here.

Pirate attacks in the Malacca Strait, which links Asia with Europe and the Middle East, fell to 12 last year, down from 38 in 2004. Each year, more than 50,000 ships, carrying half the world’s oil and a third of its commerce, navigate the waterway.

Khurana said it would be tough for terrorists to physically block the Malacca Straits with a capsized vessel but a terror attack on a hub-port or a cruise liner would cause widespread fears sufficient to disrupt maritime commerce.

In such a scenario, vessels will be forced to take alternate straits, Sunda or Lombok Makassar, increasing their sailing distance by at least three more days, he said. It will also lead to a steep surge in insurance and freight rates.

“The global economic impact from this or the closure of one of the hub ports would be disastrous for global economy due to disruptions to inventory and production cycles,” he warned.
Takashi Ichioka, managing director of Japan’s Nippon Maritime Center, said security in the strait needed to be bolstered.

“Rampant violence and kidnapping of seafarers are still constant worry to Japan,” he said in his paper. “It is time to create a new framework for cooperation in which both the littoral states and users will join.”

Abdul Rahim Hussin, Malaysia’s maritime security policy director, said the three states spent one billion dollars between 1984 and 1997 to develop strait infrastructure such as buoys, lighthouses and radars.

He said the three nations and the International Maritime Organization would hold a conference in Kuala Lumpur from September 18-20 to discuss security.

More Jihadists 'ready to go'

From: The Australian

A NETWORK of homegrown converts to radical Islam has emerged as a major terrorist threat in South-East Asia, teaming up with higher-profile al-Qaeda offshoots Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf to plot attacks on Western and local targets.

Read Emma-Kate Symons story about a group of fomer Christians known as Rajah Solaiman has linked up with al-Qaida and is plotting more terrorist attacks.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20508703-2,00.html

Modern Pirate Hunters and "Hunt of the Sea Wolves"

SEAL Team Six

The Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team SIX and based in Dam Neck, Virginia, is responsible for U.S. counterterrorist operations in the maritime environment. It’s origin can be traced to the aftermath of the failed 1980 attempted to rescue American hostages at the Iranian Embassy (Operation Eagle Claw). Prior to this, the SEALs had already begun CT training, including all 12 platoons in SEAL Team One on the West Coast.

On the East Coast, however, elements of the SEAL Team Two had taken the issue one step father. They formed a dedicated two-platoon group known as “MOB Six” (short for Mobility Six) in anticipation of a maritime scenario requiring a CT response and had begun training (including the development of advanced tactics such as “fast roping”) to that end. Yet, as was the case with the US Army’s initial CT unit - Blue Light - and Delta Force, only one group was needed and could be recognized as official. With the formal creation of SEAL Team Six (a name selected primarily to confuse Soviet intelligence as to the number of SEAL Teams in operation) in October 1980, MOB Six was demobilized. A large number of members, however, including the former MOB Six commander, were asked to join the fledgling group. With prior experience from these operators, aggressive leadership, and an accelerated training program, SEAL Team Six was declared mission-ready just six months later.

US Marine Corps’ Maritime Special Purpose Force

Each deploying Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), or MEU(SOC) containsa specialized sub-unit known as the Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF). The MSPF is a unique organization drawn from the MEU major subordinate elements. The MSPF provides the enhanced operational capability to complement or enable conventional operations or to execute selected maritime special missions. The MSPF can’t operate independently of its parent MEU. It relies on the MEU for logistics, intelligence, communications, transportation, and supporting fire. Command of the MSPF remains under the control of the MEU commander. The MSPF is organized and trained to be rapidly tailored to the specific mission. The MSPF does not duplicate the other services dedicated Special Operations Forces.

MSPF Tasks include: Deep Reconnaissance*In Extremis Hostage Rescue (IHR) in an Urban Environment*Special Demolition Operations*Clandestine Recovery of Personnel and Equipment*Gas and Oil Platform (GOPLAT) Operations*Clandestine Reconnaissance and Surveillance*Direct Action (DA) and Close Quarters Battle (CQB)*Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO)

Indian Marine Commando Force

The Marine Commando Force (MCF), was the inspiration for key players in both the screenplay and novel Hunt of the Sea Wolves. The MCF is a special forces unit of the Indian Navy. Created in 1987, it was designed as an elite force for special maritime operations.

In April 1986, the Indian Naval Staff create a plan for a special force that would be able to conduct recon, raids and counter-terrorist operations at sea. Three naval officers trained with the U.S. Navy’s SEALS as well as British Special Forces. These three officers formed the nucleus of the Indian Marine Special Forces (IMSF).

The IMSF immediately went into action during Operation Pawan, in Sri Lanka against the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelan (LTTE). Besides leading beach landings, the IMSF also provided security patrols along the coastal road, west of Jaffna.

In November 1988, mercenaries of the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelan attempted a coup in the Maldives. IMSF re-established the former government. Under the codename Operation Cactus, Indian paratroopers swarmed the capital.

The MCF also conducts operational reconnaissance training that includes a variety of environments: beach, coastal, riverine and jungle. This training is conducted with other Indian Special Forces at the Combined Commando School at Sirsawa. They also undergo parachute training and a diving course at Agra and Cochin.

MCF strength is a closely guarded secret, but sources say a number could be anywhere from 1000 to 1500 commandos. There are three main MCF groups detached in the three naval commands at Bombay, Cochin and Visag.

The MCF has changed since its inception. It was originally intended be involved in special maritime operations, but a considerable part of the MCF is doubling as marine infantry assigned to the 340th Brigade, with the flexibility of commando forces. Thus they have the capability to conduct swift amphibious raids and co-operating with Indian airborne units in joint operations.

The Real Danger of LNG Ships

The typical LNG ship carries more than 30-million gallons of natural gas. They are over three football fields in length and have the explosive power of 55 atomic bombs. Ship builders and power companies that operate these vessels would like you to believe there is no danger from terrorist attacks against these ships.

For some eye-opening information on LNG Terrorism Danger to Our Communities, visit:
http://timrileylaw.com/LNG_TERRORISM.htm

2006 Pirate Attacks

To see where pirates have attacked ships this year, go to the International Chamber of Commerce Commercial Crime Services Web site at:
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracy_maps_2006.php

Pirate Attacks Over Last 10 Years

On average, over the last 10 years, there have been approximatly 300 attacks worldwide each year. These are only a sampling of the types of attacks that modern pirates/terrorists are carrying out.

February 26, 1996 – Southern Philippines, near Basilan Island, between Sibago and Matanal Point, pirates in two speedboats attacked the fishing vessel, F/V MN-3 Normina, with a crew of 10, killing nine. The Normina was never seen again.

September 27, 1996 – Off the Greek island of Corfu, the luxury motor yacht, Carenia, is boarded by four Albanian pirates, who overpowered the owner and three passengers. When Greek police attempted to rescue those aboard the yacht the owner is killed during the gun battle.

Christmas Day, 1996 – The 15,000-ton freighter, Jalan, bound for Iraq, carrying a cargo of sugar and a crew of 28, sent out a May Day and that the ship was being abandoned off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. The ship is located a month later in Tema, Ghana, renamed the Zalcosea II. The captain and crew were arrested for attempting to sell the cargo, worth $3.5 million.

June 8, 1999 – The tanker Siam Xan Xai was taken over and hijacked after departing Singapore bound for Songkhla, Thailand. The ship was laden with 2100 tons of gas-oil and was intercepted near the Malaysian island of Tioman by a dozen armed attackers. The crew of 16 was bound and imprisoned for two days. Fifteen of the crew was then forced into a small inoperable motorboat. They were rescued 14 hours later by a passing vessel. One crewman was not release because he had knowledge of the tanker’s valving for product offload. The vessel was last seen near the Natuna Islands and was suspected of being taken towards China.

November 1999 – The 450-foot, 17,000-ton freighter Cheung Son, out of Hong Kong, is hijacked off China. Pirates kill the entire crew of 23 by binding and gagging them, weighting them down and throwing them overboard. Six bodies are recovered in fishermen’s nets. The cargo of iron ore is sold in China.

March 2001 – In the Malacca Strait, Pirates attacked the MV Inabukwa as it sailed from Pangkalan Balam to the island of Bangka. They stole $2 million in cargo, then bound and blindfolded the captain and 22 crewmen, forced them into a small boat and stranded them on the uninhabited island of Palau Sayap. Within five days, pirates attacked the Matsumi Maru No. 7.

March 2003 – Ten armed men hijack an Indonesian tanker in the Strait of Malacca. They seized control over the ship apparently to learn to steer it. After operating the ship for an hour through the Strait, they left, taking equipment and technical documents.

September 2003 – Twelve miles off Port Klang, Malaysia, sailing between Singapore and Penang, and carrying 1,000 tons of fuel oil, 14 Aceh rebels attack the tanker Penrider. They forced the ship to sail into Indonesian waters then robbed the crew and kidnapped and later ransomed the master, chief engineer, and a crewman.

June 26, 2005 – Off the coast of Somalia, the cargo ship, MV Semlow, which was carrying 850 metric tons of aid cargo was hijacked and the pirates demanded a ransom for its release. On July 26, pirates attacked an LPG tanker 85 miles off Somalia with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. The ship managed to increase speed and escape. Attacks on shipping near Somalia have continued.

February 28, 2005 – Thirty-five heavily armed pirates attacked a fully laden oil tanker en route from Samarinda to Belawan in Indonesia. They kidnapped the captain and chief engineer, who are still missing.

March 14, 2005 – The Japanese tug, Idaten, was attacked roughly 70 miles southwest of Panang while towing a construction barge. The armed pirates abducted a Filipino and two Japanese crewmembers. They are still missing.

July 20, 2005 – An ICC report, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, declared that by mid-2005, pirates had boarded 92 ships, and hijacked six, while they took 176 crewmembers hostage. The report identified other areas where piracy is on the rise, including Somalia, Nigeria, and Iraq. Even with the close proximity of coalition naval ships, four serious incidents were reported in the waters off the Basra oil terminal since April 22, 2005.

November 5, 2005 – Somalian pirates attack the Seabourn Cruise Lines “Spirit” with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. Carrying 150 passengers and a crew of 160, the ship managed to repel the attack and outrun the two pirate’s small boats.

Extremist Islamic Terror Groups Continue Threat in Philippines

Abu Sayyaf Supported by Dural Islam, Jamaah Islamiyan

Despite many recent arrests, the continuing threat posed by extremist Islamic terror groups operating in the Southern Philippines is very real.

Sources even say that their numbers may be multiplying, as more fighters from other countries are being shipped in to commit terrorist acts of violence. Alarmingly, the most common group, the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, has now asked for assistance from two other very dangerous foreign-based al-Qaeda-linked groups: Jemaah Islamiyah and Darul Islam.

These groups may be even more dangerous than Abu Sayyaf because they have better training and resources to launch attacks against civilians. The presence of these groups in the Philippines is a major concern for authorities, and their activities must be halted as soon as possible. On the positive side for authorities, it shows the desperation of Abu Sayyaf. The group has suffered multiple defeats in the past several months. It would not need this foreign assistance if it were winning battles and gaining support.

Recent arrests of 12 terrorist suspects, including two Filipinos, in Malaysia confirmed what many had long suspected: The terror group Darul Islam is trying to make progress into the Southern Philippines. Malaysian authorities said publicly that the arrests crippled the activities of the group in the area, but there is still concern about possible future activities. They will pass on official word of the intelligence they have gathered to home authorities soon. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesmen Jose Angel Honrado said, “When we receive the report, we will take matters seriously.”

Many experts are bothered by the seeming lack of official information on the Darul Islam group. Public Information Office Chief Tristan Kison said that the military does not have “much information on the group as of now.” Perhaps they should learn the details about a group that is threatening the Philippines and not leave all the work up to Malaysian authorities.
Besides, much about the group is already public knowledge. Darul Islam assisted terrorists Umar Patek and Dulmatin, the two main culprits behind the 2002 Bali bombings, to slip into the Southern Philippines unnoticed by authorities. They also smuggled guns and other weapons through the same region.

A source in the Malaysian intelligence forces said, “The regional intelligence agencies had been keeping tabs on the group, particularly with its links to Abu Sayyaf, a small violent group operating in the Southern Philippines. Several of its leaders had reportedly fought in Afghanistan during the Soviet war and were students and proponents of radical Islamic teaching.” Anti-Terrorism Task Force spokesmen Ricardo Blancafor refused to comment specifically on Darul Islam but cited the progress made in other areas, saying that a number of Jemaah Islamiyah camps had been dismantled in Central Mindanao.

Army Brigadier General Alexander Aleo, military commander of Jolo Island, was more forthcoming. He said that the authorities are looking into Abu Sayyaf’s connection with the dangerous terror group Darul Islam. General Aleo, in fact, believes that many inter-linked terror groups are operating within the Philippines and the surrounding areas. He is very concerned about their activities, particularly the support they receive from foreign governments. The fact that radical foreign governments are trying to influence activities in the region is of great concern.

Other sources that believe it is likely that Darul Islam, from its bases in Malaysia and Indonesia, is planning to launch bomb attacks against the Philippines. These intentions, and the connection to the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group, were made clear by confessions of the 12 terrorists arrested in Malaysia. They were found with bomb-making materials and other illegal substances. One of those arrested even admitted to training terrorists in the Southern Philippines. He in turn had been trained by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in the past. “He is quite dangerous,” said one source. “He has a strong influence on terrorist groups in the region.”
It is alarming that such a notorious criminal would be involved with illegal terrorist activities in the Southern Philippines. The authorities must do everything they can to stop such men from committing terrible acts against innocent civilians.

It is also important for all good citizens to help the authorities by reporting any suspicious activities or strange characters immediately. Foreign-supported extremist groups will do anything they can to terrorize the Philippines and commit their crimes. They will kill innocent civilians without a second thought. They will set off bombs in the vicinity of women and children. Foreign-supported terror groups, such as Abu Sayyaf and Darul Islam, cause great harm to the Philippines. Their terrible activities must be stopped.

Piracy Facts and the Novel "Hunt of the Sea Wolves"

Not to give the whole storyline of my novel away, but at its core is the fact that Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have reportedly linked up with Al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations, such as the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam and the Aceh rebels.

With manpower and financial backing from these organizations Abu Sayyaf is beginning to go to sea as did their ancestors–Moro pirates a few centuries earlier–in order to plunder passing vessels and kill their crews.

In Hunt of the Sea Wolves the Abu Sayyaf capture a mysterious ship passing through the Philippine Islands under cover of night. After killing the crew, they begin their search through the ship to see what they can find of value. They discover an unexpected bonanza in one of the cargo holds—depleted radioactive fuel rods.

Unlikely you say. Not so. In 2002, two British ships carried radioactive fuel to the Sallafield nuclear plant after an 18,000 mile voyage from Japan. Environmental activists aboard a flotilla of vessels led by Greenpeace protested off the coast of Cumbria. But there were no protests in the Philippines or anywhere for that matter, probably because it’s not exactly public knowledge that these ships are carrying radioactive fuel through there on a regular basis.

Now suppose a terrorist organization has taken to pirating on the high seas and they should discover that the ship they’ve just plundered was carrying just such a cargo. What might they do with it? Well, in Hunt of the Sea Wolves they share it with their friends and begin to carry out a mission they have been planning to do for a number of years—hijack a ship carrying liquefied natural gas, better known as an LNG ship.

Why would they want to take this specific kind of ship? They are massive ships with the ability the carry over 30-million gallons of liquefied natural gas, which has the potential explosive power of more than 50 World War II-era atomic bombs. There are those who argue that natural gas in its liquid form will not explode. It is, however, highly explosive as a vapor.
I’ll explain in future postings how a terrorist attack on an LNG ship might trigger a catastrophic explosion that could vaporize a major port city.

In my novel and screenplay, this is the crux of the story. Abu Sayyaf does manage to hijack not one, but two LNG ships in order to sail them to two major port cities well within reach where they will use them as weapons of mass destruction that not only destroy entire cities, but contaminate them as well.

Unlikely as this may seem, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported that terrorist organizations in Southeast Asia are increasingly involved in piracy and that the hijacking of ships and capture or murdering of their crews doubled in one year. One such incident, which led to my including it in the book, involved an attack on a freighter passing through the Philippines. The pirates beat the crew of 20 to death and used forged papers to change the ship’s identity.

So, how does this affect the rest of us? More than half the world’s commerce passes through the Straits of Malacca, including two-thirds of the world’s LNG trade, according to CSIS. If terrorists were able to take control of a ship transporting LNG for a suicide mission, in or out of the Strait of Malacca, it would devastate the entire region, economically and environmentally. Also, if this were to happen in the Strait of Malacca it would drastically affect the flow of oil and countless other materials and would pose a threat to the national security of countries that are highly energy dependent—Japan, South Korea in particular.

It is the job of the protagonists of my story to stop the Abu Sayyaf from carrying out just such a suicide mission. They are only partially successful. One city is saved, while another is destroyed. My aim is to give you enough information about terrorist’s plans to use these ships as weapons of mass destruction and perhaps pique your interest enough to want to read the book or screenplay.

In any case, I believe more people should be made aware of the fact that Homeland Security and other anti-terrorist organizations are well aware of the terrorist’s intensions—and you should be too. They will not give up until they succeed.

Today’s revelation that they were planning on blowing up as many as 10 aircraft flying from the UK to America should be evidence enough that these are extremely clever and extremely evil people who will stop at nothing to harm us in any way then can.

Terrorism: Ready to Blow

By Jerry Havens in Bulletin of the Automic Scientist

On September 27, 2001, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker Matthew, operated by a Norwegian shipping company, was denied entry into Boston Harbor, where it had a scheduled delivery. "One of my functions," explained Coast Guard Port of Boston Captain Brian Salerno, "is to provide for safe and secure transportation of maritime traffic in Boston Harbor. Since September 11 the dynamics of that role have changed." But what are the connections between the dangers of shipping LNG and terrorism?

See the entire article at: http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=ja03havens

The Mystery of the Aurora Aircraft

As was the case many years ago when rumors were running rampant about a top secret stealth aircraft flying out of Nevada’s Area 51, only to be proven true after at least two crashed, now another aircraft has caught the imagination of conspiracy buffs.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to two people who have worked at Area 51 and asked them if there was an Aurora. One answered, “Now why would you want to know that?” The other said, “I can’t say one way or the other. It would mean my job.”

Personally, I think there just might be another black ops aircraft lurking high overhead that is rumored to fly at better than Mach 6. “That’s fast,” as one of the characters in my novel, Hunt of the Sea Wolves, says.

I’m giving you a peek at Chapter 74 from the book, where the two main characters, Parris and Roy come face to face with Aurora–and then get to go on the flight of their lives from the East Coast to Hawaii, as they race the sun to catch pirates intent on detonating a nuke on a very special anniversary.

Below Chapter 74 I will begin giving details of what people suspect about the top secret Aurora project.

Chapter 74 of “Hunt of the Sea Wolves”

Parris and Roy stood in the cavernous hanger, transfixed at the massive black aircraft. A hydraulic-powered trap door opened under the aircraft and the pilot stepped out. Wearing a high-altitude pressure flight suit, he stood five feet six (the better to fit in tight cockpits). In his mid fifties, his hair was long and red. He didn’t look like a typical Air Force pilot. He wasn’t. Harry Saxon’s life was as secret as the aircraft he tested and flew during covert operations.
Saxon held out a hand to both men.
They shook hands.
“I hear you fellows need a lift.”
Parris motioned toward the aircraft. “What is that thing? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I believe it is the Aurora.” Roy answered eagerly. Roy was obviously enraptured at being in presence of the ultra-secret aircraft. He turned to Parris. “You do not realize what this is?
“Well, it sure isn’t the Concord. But since it looks like an offspring of the SR-71 Blackbird and the F/A-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter,” Parris said. “I’ll take a wild guess and say it’s the latest spy plane out of Area 51.”
Roy ran his hand along the sleek aircraft’s fuselage, almost affectionately. He looked at Saxon. “It is the Aurora, isn’t it.”
“You’ve heard of her,” Saxon said proudly.
“Oh, yes.” Roy looked into one of the huge jet engines. “She is much, much more. Is it true that she can exceed an altitude of more than two hundred thousand?”
He looked at Saxon for confirmation.
“Oh, she’ll get up in that neighborhood, I suppose.” Saxon said coyly.
“Some neighborhood,” Parris said with awe.
“She is a long-range reconnaissance follow-on to the SR-71,” Roy recited from memory. “She has a blended delta wing with seventy-five degree leading-edge sweep and retractable low-speed fore-planes. It is thought that she is most likely powered by two regenerative air-turbo ramjet engines.”
“I’m impressed,” Parris said.
“You’ve been surfing the Net,” Saxon said. “Don’t believe everything the conspiracy blogs have to say.”
Roy wasn’t put off by the remark. It only encouraged him. He looked up the hatch into the aircraft. “Is it true she will do Mach six?”
“Mach six?” Parris said as he tried to calculate the numbers. “That’s, what, a couple thousand miles per hour?”
“Over four thousand miles per hour,” Roy said almost gleefully.
“Give or take, depending on the altitude and air temperature,” Saxon said.
“That’s fast?” Parris smiled.
A test pilot of long standing with the CIA, Saxon was justifiably proud of his newest toy.
“Give her a good tailwind at thirty-seven miles up and she’s the fastest commute on the planet,” He said, then asked, “How long did it take you to drive over here from down town?”
“A little over an hour,” Roy said.
“Less than an hour ago, I took off from Groom Lake, on the West Coast.” He touched the side of one of the engines with the back of his right hand. “She’s still warm.”
Roy and Parris exchange an appreciative look.
“You boys up for the ride of your lives,” Saxon said.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Roy said.
Saxon pointed to a locker room. “You’ll find your flight suits there. We take off in twenty minutes.”
“We need to be at Pearl Harbor ASAP,” Parris said.
“No problem. But this baby only flies at night or at extreme altitudes,” he said. “I’ll have to drop you boys off on the fly, if you know what I mean.”

From the Aurora Aircraft Page, online since 1995:
In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was believed that a top-secret reconnaissance aircraft, capable of flying at speeds beyond Mach 6, was developed to replace the SR-71 Blackbird. The alleged project was detailed in mainstream media including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Jane’s Defence Weekly, and Aviation Week & Space Technology.The name Aurora was included in a Pentagon budget request in 1985, perhaps inadvertently, underneath reconnaissance programs of the SR-71 and U-2. The Aurora has been attributed to scores of unidentified aircraft reports around the world, including a 1989 sighting from an oil platform in the North Sea, a series of mysterious sonic booms over Southern California in 1991-92, and photographs of unusual “donuts-on-a-rope” contrails.

However, the United States government denies the existence of such an aircraft, and no absolute evidence has ever confirmed the rumors. Speculation about an Aurora project has mostly died away since the late 1990s, and over the years it has acquired a reputation as a “flying saucer story.” Wherever the truth may lie, it is the goal of the Aurora Aircraft Page to provide information for you to help divide fact from fiction in the quest to solve this elusive story.