ISRAEL: THE JEWISH STATE EMPHASISES IT'S COMMITMENT TO SECURITY ON IT'S COASTLINE BY BOARDING A UKRANIAN TANKER WITH ARMED NAVAL COMMANDOS

Record ID: 397926

  • Title: ISRAEL: THE JEWISH STATE EMPHASISES IT'S COMMITMENT TO SECURITY ON IT'S COASTLINE BY BOARDING A UKRANIAN TANKER WITH ARMED NAVAL COMMANDOS
  • Date: 9th June 2004
  • Summary: (L!1) NEAR HAIFA, ISRAEL (JUNE 9, 2004) (REUTERS) WS: OF CARGO SHIP IN MEDITERRANEAN SEA OFF ISRAELI CITY OF HAIFA GV: ISRAELI PATROL BOAT APPROACHING UKRAINIAN TANKER "ISLAND TRADER" INT: ISRAELI SOLDIERS INSIDE PATROL BOAT CU: OF FRONT OF PATROL BOAT SCU: SOLDIER WATCHING FROM DECK AS PATROL BOAT APPROACHES UKRAINIAN TANKER GV: UKRANIAN TANKER LV: VALERI (NO LAST NAME G
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEAR HAIFA, ISRAEL
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7EYATGOEPV8K0MZHV69VFBD
  • Story Text: Commandos to customs, Israel leads marine security.
    For Captain Valeri and his crew, the Israeli boarding party was a muscle-bound introduction to security precautions that may soon be as common to the world's seaports as bars and brothels.
    First to clamber up to "Island Trader" as it neared Haifa port were five Uzi-wielding naval commandos. Then came customs and immigration agents, followed by a military sapper who hoisted his bomb-sniffer Labrador aboard in a sling.
    "I think it's necessary because this country is at war," said Vladimir, a member of the Ukrainian tanker's crew.
    "Maybe there is something wrong, maybe they have some information. I don't know. It depends on port authorities", Vladimir added.
    Next month, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code goes into effect globally, a slew of anti-terror regulations that Washington pushed through the United Nations in the wake of September 11, 2001 for fear of a sea attack by al Qaeda.
    Shipping and defence experts say ISPS is partly modelled on the Jewish state's maritime security regime, considered the tightest in the world, and Israeli consultants are much in demand as countries move to implement it by July 1.
    It requires the training of on-board ship and company security officers, emergency procedures to deal with a terror attack, and a raft of security upgrade measures in ports and coastal terminals.
    Experts say ISPS non-compliance is still rife, especially among cash-strapped Third World shipping companies. But weighed against budget constraints is the fact that, under ISPS, ships that are not certified can be held up at sea or turned away.
    Wary of seaborne Arab guerrilla attacks and attempts to smuggle arms to Palestinian militants in the occupied Gaza Strip, Israel has for decades kept a close eye on its coast, which handles 35 million tonnes of international trade a year.
    "This procedure has been taking place for many years", Israeli army lieutenant commander Ronni told Reuters.
    Ronnie, who refused to give his last name, said the procedure "has been stepped up following the September 11 attacks. Today, checks are very strict and we are more aware of the possibility of (attackers) arriving via the sea."
    According to Israeli officials, several European and South American ports have turned to the country's security firms for ISPS advice. A London security group recently hired by the Panama Maritime Authority counts among its consultants a retired Mossad head and a former Israeli military intelligence chief.
    The Cypriot-registered "Island Trader" was cleared to enter Haifa and load oil, although the customs agents did disembark with 24 cartons of undeclared cigarettes. Valeri was fined $400 for the infraction.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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