The maritime dimension of international security : terrorism, piracy, and challenges for the United States / Peter Chalk.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chalk, Peter.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Merchant marine--Security measures--United States.

Merchant marine.

Security, International.

Shipping--Security measures.

Shipping.

Maritime terrorism--Prevention.

Maritime terrorism.

Terrorism--Prevention.

Terrorism.

Piracy--Prevention.

Piracy.

Unified operations (Military science)--United States.

Unified operations (Military science).

Merchant marine--Security measures.

United States.

Physical Description:

xx, 59 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2008.

Summary:

The vast size and highly unregulated nature of the world's waterways have made the maritime environment an attractive theater for perpetrators of transnational violence. Both piracy and sea-borne terrorism have become more common since 2000 due to the global proliferation of small arms as well as growing vulnerabilities in maritime shipping, surveillance, and coastal and port-side security. In addition to massive increases in maritime traffic, pirates have profited from increasingly congested maritime chokepoints, the lingering effects of the Asian financial crisis, and weakened judicial and governmental structures. Some analysts also fear that terrorists may soon exploit the carefully calibrated freight trading system to trigger a global economic crisis, or use the container supply chain to transport weapons of mass destruction. While speculation about an emerging tactical nexus between piracy and terrorism is complicating the maritime threat picture, credible evidence to support this presumed convergence has yet to emerge. Since 2002, the United States-one of the world's principal maritime trading states-has spearheaded several important initiatives to improve global and regional maritime security. Although an important contribution, the author urges policymakers to consider four additional measures to better safeguard the world's oceans: helping to further expand the post-9/11 maritime security regime; conducting regular and rigorous threat assessments; assisting with redefining mandates of existing multilateral security and defense arrangements; and encouraging the commercial maritime industry to make greater use of enabling communication and defensive technologies and accept a greater degree of transparency in its corporate structures.

Contents:

Chapter 2 Piracy 5

Scope and Dimensions 5

Factors Accounting for the Emergence of Piracy in the Contemporary Era 10

The Dangers of Piracy 14

Chapter 3 Maritime Terrorism 19

Chapter 4 A Piracy-Terrorism Nexus? 31

Chapter 5 Relevance to the United States 35

Threat Priorities 36

Principal Security Initiatives Spearheaded by the United States 38

Chapter 6 Policy Recommendations 43

Appendix Selected High-Profile Maritime Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2004 47.

Notes:

"The research presented here was sponsored within RAND's Project AirForce (PAF) Strategy and Doctrine Program, as part of a wider effort exploring new concepts for joint U.S. air-naval operations"--Pref.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 53-59).

ISBN:

9780833042996

0833042998

OCLC:

220858766