The Royal Navy closes one of al-Qa'eda's last escape routes
Philip Sherwell reports from on board a British frigate in the Arabian Sea, where foreign warships have been invited to patrol the coastal waters of Pakistan
Pakistan has agreed to allow coalition ships to hunt al-Qa'eda fighters deep inside its territorial waters, in an unprecedented move that will let British and American ships sail close to the country's coast.
President Pervez Musharraf's decision to invite members of a British-led naval task force to patrol in Pakistani waters, within the official 12-mile limit, reflects fears that terrorists will try to escape by sea from the latest military offensive being waged against them.
Gen Musharraf has committed Pakistan's navy to join ships from seven nations led by Britain in a coalition taskforce that is guarding the Arabian Sea against the illicit movement of people, weapons and drugs - all vital elements of terrorist networks.
When the Taliban regime was toppled in Afghanistan in 2001, hundreds of al-Qa'eda militants fled south from the mountains to the unguarded coastlines of Pakistan and Iran, escaping by boat to the Gulf, Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
Washington and London are determined to ensure that that it does not happen again as United States forces launch Operation Mountain Storm in Afghanistan's mountainous frontier belt, and Pakistani troops pursue their fresh offensive against Osama bin-Laden and senior al-Qa'eda lieutenants.
Diplomats in both capitals regard Gen Musharraf's decision to become the eighth member of the taskforce conducting Operation Enduring Freedom as a significant breakthrough. It came after talks in Islamabad last week between Gen Musharraf and Adml Sir Alan West, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.
Last week, as British Nimrod surveillance aircraft patrolled the skies over the region, Sir Alan said that the maritime campaign to deny terrorists a free run of the oceans had been made a top priority in recent weeks.
"The whole point of coming somewhere like this is to show that terrorists cannot dictate what we do or where we go," Sir Alan told the Telegraph, speaking aboard the frigate Grafton in Karachi. The Pakistani port city, a known hub for al-Qa'eda terrorists and home-grown militants, has been plagued by violence and bomb attacks against Western targets.
At the heart of Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched after the September 11 attacks, is the so-called HIV (high interest vessels) database. Among other suspicious ships, the database holds details of about a dozen freighters, some up to 300ft in length, that are believed to be under the control of al-Qa'eda or its supporters.
One dhow, which is at present thought to be moving along the East African coast, has "al-Qa'eda links", according to naval officials, and is believed to be carrying explosives for a terrorist attack.
"We are still getting to grips with the scale of the problem," Sir Alan said. "The smuggling of drugs, terrorists and arms are inter-related. Terrorism is all-pervasive and we need to counter it wherever we can."
Al-Qa'eda and other fundamentalist groups have increasingly funded their operations from drugs as other sources of income - notably foreign bank accounts, front companies and sympathetic "charities" - have been curtailed by increased security since September 11. The militants are selling drugs to "infidels" which they know will be used by non-Muslims.
The multinational force including Grafton and St Albans - both Type 23 frigates - made several breakthroughs in December and January, according to Navy officials. Their mission assumed fresh importance after the end of official hostilities in Iraq. Cdre Tony Rix, a British officer who has been overseeing operations across one million square miles of seas, will soon become overall task force commander for the region.
In recent actions, US vessels seized four dhows smuggling drugs in the Persian Gulf, apparently to raise money for Osama bin Laden's network. In the biggest operation, boarding teams from the USS Philippine Sea took control of two dhows carrying heroin and amphetamines with a street value of several million pounds.
The task force blends intelligence-gathering - including the use of satellite surveillance - with boarding parties that conduct routine questioning of passing vessels. A random check on a fisherman by St Albans recently elicited key details about drug and gun smugglers in the area.
"We are involved in a long-term battle against terrorism," said Adml David Snelson, the commander of Britain's maritime forces, during a visit to coalition naval headquarters in Bahrain. "Our work here is ultimately designed to protect the people back home from terrorism. That is what the Armed Forces are for."
Source:The Telegraph
A related article:
UK Naval Chief Calls On President Musharraf
Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff United Kingdom currently on an official visit to Pakistan called on President General Pervez Musharraf here Thursday.
Welcoming the dignitary, the President recalled the excellent ties that existed between the Armed Forces of Pakistan and the United Kingdom. He wished Admiral Sir Alan West a pleasant and professionally rewarding stay in the country and expressed the hope that his visit would help further strengthen the excellent relations between the Armed Forces of the two countries.
The President and Admiral West also exchanged views on the prevailing International and regional geo-strategic situation. Admiral West thanked the President and Pakistan Navy for the hospitality being extended to him and members of the delegation. He termed his interaction with the military leadership in Pakistan as excellent. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah, senior representatives of British high Commission and other senior officers were also present during the call.
Source: PakNews
----------------
These closer defence relations are quite trusting for both sides, though I can see how some people in this world might take it the wrong way...
:frosty
Philip Sherwell reports from on board a British frigate in the Arabian Sea, where foreign warships have been invited to patrol the coastal waters of Pakistan
Pakistan has agreed to allow coalition ships to hunt al-Qa'eda fighters deep inside its territorial waters, in an unprecedented move that will let British and American ships sail close to the country's coast.
President Pervez Musharraf's decision to invite members of a British-led naval task force to patrol in Pakistani waters, within the official 12-mile limit, reflects fears that terrorists will try to escape by sea from the latest military offensive being waged against them.
Gen Musharraf has committed Pakistan's navy to join ships from seven nations led by Britain in a coalition taskforce that is guarding the Arabian Sea against the illicit movement of people, weapons and drugs - all vital elements of terrorist networks.
When the Taliban regime was toppled in Afghanistan in 2001, hundreds of al-Qa'eda militants fled south from the mountains to the unguarded coastlines of Pakistan and Iran, escaping by boat to the Gulf, Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
Washington and London are determined to ensure that that it does not happen again as United States forces launch Operation Mountain Storm in Afghanistan's mountainous frontier belt, and Pakistani troops pursue their fresh offensive against Osama bin-Laden and senior al-Qa'eda lieutenants.
Diplomats in both capitals regard Gen Musharraf's decision to become the eighth member of the taskforce conducting Operation Enduring Freedom as a significant breakthrough. It came after talks in Islamabad last week between Gen Musharraf and Adml Sir Alan West, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.
Last week, as British Nimrod surveillance aircraft patrolled the skies over the region, Sir Alan said that the maritime campaign to deny terrorists a free run of the oceans had been made a top priority in recent weeks.
"The whole point of coming somewhere like this is to show that terrorists cannot dictate what we do or where we go," Sir Alan told the Telegraph, speaking aboard the frigate Grafton in Karachi. The Pakistani port city, a known hub for al-Qa'eda terrorists and home-grown militants, has been plagued by violence and bomb attacks against Western targets.
At the heart of Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched after the September 11 attacks, is the so-called HIV (high interest vessels) database. Among other suspicious ships, the database holds details of about a dozen freighters, some up to 300ft in length, that are believed to be under the control of al-Qa'eda or its supporters.
One dhow, which is at present thought to be moving along the East African coast, has "al-Qa'eda links", according to naval officials, and is believed to be carrying explosives for a terrorist attack.
"We are still getting to grips with the scale of the problem," Sir Alan said. "The smuggling of drugs, terrorists and arms are inter-related. Terrorism is all-pervasive and we need to counter it wherever we can."
Al-Qa'eda and other fundamentalist groups have increasingly funded their operations from drugs as other sources of income - notably foreign bank accounts, front companies and sympathetic "charities" - have been curtailed by increased security since September 11. The militants are selling drugs to "infidels" which they know will be used by non-Muslims.
The multinational force including Grafton and St Albans - both Type 23 frigates - made several breakthroughs in December and January, according to Navy officials. Their mission assumed fresh importance after the end of official hostilities in Iraq. Cdre Tony Rix, a British officer who has been overseeing operations across one million square miles of seas, will soon become overall task force commander for the region.
In recent actions, US vessels seized four dhows smuggling drugs in the Persian Gulf, apparently to raise money for Osama bin Laden's network. In the biggest operation, boarding teams from the USS Philippine Sea took control of two dhows carrying heroin and amphetamines with a street value of several million pounds.
The task force blends intelligence-gathering - including the use of satellite surveillance - with boarding parties that conduct routine questioning of passing vessels. A random check on a fisherman by St Albans recently elicited key details about drug and gun smugglers in the area.
"We are involved in a long-term battle against terrorism," said Adml David Snelson, the commander of Britain's maritime forces, during a visit to coalition naval headquarters in Bahrain. "Our work here is ultimately designed to protect the people back home from terrorism. That is what the Armed Forces are for."
Source:The Telegraph
A related article:
UK Naval Chief Calls On President Musharraf
Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff United Kingdom currently on an official visit to Pakistan called on President General Pervez Musharraf here Thursday.
Welcoming the dignitary, the President recalled the excellent ties that existed between the Armed Forces of Pakistan and the United Kingdom. He wished Admiral Sir Alan West a pleasant and professionally rewarding stay in the country and expressed the hope that his visit would help further strengthen the excellent relations between the Armed Forces of the two countries.
The President and Admiral West also exchanged views on the prevailing International and regional geo-strategic situation. Admiral West thanked the President and Pakistan Navy for the hospitality being extended to him and members of the delegation. He termed his interaction with the military leadership in Pakistan as excellent. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah, senior representatives of British high Commission and other senior officers were also present during the call.
Source: PakNews
----------------
These closer defence relations are quite trusting for both sides, though I can see how some people in this world might take it the wrong way...
:frosty
