Could AWW Prevent Another Mumbai-Style Attack?

By now everyone is aware of many of the details that occurred in Mumbai. The ruthlessness and skill at which the terrorists were able to execute their plan is frightening. It is particularly troubling to me as there was a maritime component to this attack that shows an expanded understanding by the terrorists on how to exploit the maritime environment. A careful examination of the post attack analysis showed us the following:

• The terrorists chartered a cargo ship out of Karachi, Pakistan
• They hijacked a fishing trawler to avoid detection
• They slit the throat of the captain and killed remaining crew members
• One of the terrorists was a trained sailor and took the helm after the captain was killed
• They Used inflatable dinghies to transport teams last few nautical miles to Sassoon Dock
• Two teams checked into the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels four days prior to the assaults to stash supplies and study the layout
• Intelligence sources reported two boatfuls of weapons and some 18-20 of the terrorists most likely came from Karachi in Pakistan

Although AWW would have been ineffective at stopping the attack on November 26, AWW could have provided advance notice of the impending attacks, which could have brought about a much different outcome.

The fact that the terrorists were so efficient and prepared means they put a huge amount of energy and resources into planning and staging the attack. In fact, analysis indicates that they had stashed additional weapons and munitions in various areas within Mumbai. Here AWW could have had a tremendous impact, as it is in the lead up to a terrorist attack that AWW provides its greatest 'bang for the buck'. Imagine if a concerned citizen had noticed the (likely) suspicious behavior of the terrorists while they were stashing the weapons or conducting surveillance and reported the incident to the local authorities. For lack of a better phrase, knowledge is power.

In the next few posts I'm going to focus on a program that was developed by Coast Guard Auxiliaritsts in the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach area. Known as the SETS program, it is specifically geared toward training folks that live, work and play on the water the various phases of the pre-attack planning used by most terrorists; Surveillance, Ellicitation, Tests of security, and Suspicious persons.

Why America's Waterway Watch?

You may have heard people talking about it or seen a flyer or placard talking about it, but maybe you’re not quite sure what it is. I want to take this opportunity to give you an idea of why America’s Waterway exists and how you can participate.

The United States has more than 95,000 miles of shore line and over 300,000 square miles of water that it is responsible for. Think about that for a moment. If you still can’t grasp the enormity of that, let me put it into perspective; you could travel from New York to Paris and back again 13 times before you equaled the length of America’s coast line…

Now, let me throw another staggering fact at you. The primary Federal Agency in charge of securing the entire coastline (the US Coast Guard) is an agency that has less people in it than the entire NYC Police Department…sobering isn’t it? In the post 9/11 world, the Coast Guard quickly realized that in order to gain a better idea of what’s happening on our waterways (what we call Maritime Domain Awareness), they needed help. Here’s where America’s Waterway Watch comes in; America’s Waterway Watch is essentially a neighborhood watch program for anyone who lives, works or spends time on or near the water.

What AWW provides is information so that when citizens (like you!)on or near the water see suspicious activity (or anything that just seems wrong – more on what to look for in a later post, but for now lets just say anything that ‘just doesn’t seem right’), they know what to do. They can call our national hotline (1-877-24-WATCH) or their local law enforcement to report that activity. Once AWW gets the call the Coast Guard will investigate the incident together with local and national law enforcement agencies.

That, in a nutshell, is the case for why we need America’s Waterway Watch and why we need you to participate. As always, please feel free to post your comments or ideas. The more collaboration we can foster, the safer we can make this country!

America's Waterway Watch 2.0

Welcome to the new America's Waterway Watch blog!

Following the inspiration of our illustrious Commandant (iCommandant), and our friends at the The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), America's Waterway Watch (AWW) is hitting the blogosphere!

Our blog is not just going to be about AWW; we are going to take the opportunity to use this medium to discuss a wide range of issues facing the maritime community, especially in regards to security. We urge our readers to leave comments and participate in the discussion. Our goal is facilitate a spirited dialouge on some of the most pressing issues in the maritime domain and how AWW can be used to address those issues.

This blog is only the one step in our foray into the Social Media realm; please feel free to join our fansite on Facebook, and we've just recently joined Twitter, You can also find a wealth of information on our static website.

We look forward to working with you!