US Intelligence is concerned that Al Qaeda has already inflitrated
their people into this lawless stretch of land that has a wide
coastal front, and at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden that leads to
the Suez Canal in the north.
The US had problems with the Somalis before - in a UN
sanctioned operation - that was made famous in the movie "Black
Hawk Down".
The pirates may not want to confront the growing fleet
of naval vessels in this UN sanctioned international effort to
stop piracy, but Al Qaeda may sneek into this area,
and disguise themselves as pirates to blow up either a naval
vessel, or a hijacked vessel, or both.
The attempt to blow up a naval vessel can be made by disguising
themselves as a "hijacked vessel" and coming alongside a naval
craft before blowing up both the naval craft and the "hijacked
vessel".
Alternatively, Al Qaeda operatives with some more
daring Somali pirates could board a naval warship in the
dark of night, and takeover the entire vessel.
Our LST is especially vulnerable with
low open passages - near the waterline - on both
sides of the ship running towards the aft section, the personnel on
guard duty will have to be extra alert to any divers attempting to
climb onboard.
With a small crew onboard, and half strength on duty at night,
the vessel becomes more vulnerable to being hijacked.
It will be the attention seeking publicity that Al Qaeda
need.
Book from Michael Smith indicate that the American did not
want to go back into Somalia so the Jordanian special
force gone into Somalia and take out Al Qaeda leaders. I am
sure there are still embeded human intel in that country.
But on the note of possible night boarding of LST, they
would have well equip navigation equipment and big
enough boats to sail thru the night don't you think so?
