Thursday, September 18, 2014

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, September 18, 2014


Another day closer to Key West...

(*SIGH*) (*SMILE*)


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1 comment:

William R. Barker said...

http://online.wsj.com/articles/yury-fedotov-a-free-pass-for-drug-traffickers-at-sea-1410996113

The Combined Maritime Forces is a partnership of 30 seafaring nations including the U.S., Canada and Saudi Arabia founded in 2002 to promote security and prosperity across more than two million square miles of international waters, including the heavily trafficked waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

The CMF's main concerns are piracy and terrorism. But in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and elsewhere, CMF patrols are discovering huge amounts of narcotics when boarding vessels during counter-piracy and counter-terrorism operations.

Incredibly, once the drugs are seized the traffickers are set free — because the CMF has no authority to apprehend them in international waters.

* AND WE'RE PART OF THIS INSANITY! (INDEED, NO DOUBT WE PAY FOR MOST OF THE PROGRAM! NO DOUBT AMERICAN SAILORS BEAR MOST OF THE PHYSICAL RISK AS WELL!)

Clearly, this needs to change. CMF patrols should be able to apprehend and take ashore drug traffickers just as they do pirates and terrorists.

* DUH!

How pervasive is the narcotics problem on the high seas? In early 2014, the HMCS Toronto, a frigate serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, headed for home after a 12-month tour with the Combined Maritime Forces in the Arabian sea. In one year, the HMCS Toronto had logged some 80,000 nautical miles, completed 150 operations and boarded 60 boats. It had also intercepted nine narcotics shipments, and by doing so, seized around 8.5 metric tons of drugs, including heroin and hashish.

In addition to the flow of narcotics, there is also trafficking in wildlife, firearms and other valuable contraband being moved along these maritime routes. We therefore need to take advantage of the work being done by naval ships from the many countries operating in these waters to ensure that smugglers don't go free.

Each year illicit drugs kill as many as 200,000 people world-wide, and they spread misery and pain to many more. The international community can help end this suffering by apprehending maritime drug traffickers and seeing that they face justice.

September 18, 2014 at 2:02 PM

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