U.S. Starting to Focus on Maritime/Seaborne Terror
Assault on Israeli Ashdod Port Kills 10, Mega Attack Narrowly Avoided


Renewing concerns over the safety of the maritime sector in the United States, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the FBI have identified eleven individuals working within the U.S. merchant marine community with suspected links to terrorist organizations, according to FBI Counter Terrorism Chief Gary Bald. All eleven have been placed on the "No-Fly" and "Watchlist" maintained at the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC). The TSC is administered by the FBI and was created to consolidate terrorist watchlists and provide 24/7 operational support for thousands of Federal screeners across the country and around the world.




Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security, January 27, 2004, Bald revealed that a 14-month joint investigation, designated "Operation Drydock", included an extensive review and background check of the more than 200,000 merchant marine licenses issued by the USCG to identify possible terrorist links and counterfeit licenses. In addition to certifying an individual's ability to operate a vessel, merchant marine licenses are often used by persons to board and depart ships in foreign ports.


The joint investigation uncovered nine individuals with suspected links to terrorism and exposed, "thousands of cases of possible fraud or other problems, including mariners with active arrest warrants," according to U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Jolie Shifflet. In addition, the USCG and the FBI teamed up with U.S. Navy officials to remove more than a dozen individuals scheduled to serve on U.S. Navy sealift command ships supporting the military buildup in the Middle East prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Civilian merchant mariners support the Navy's sealift capabilities heavily.