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.
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