Taking a Look at Maritime Security

Often called “The Crossroads of the World”, the Middle East stands between three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Over thousands of years, migrating traders and conquerors crossed this region and spread the ideas, inventions, and achievements of many civilizations. It is an incredibly important part of the world with rich history, important resources, and deep religious and cultural traditions. However, in the past decades up to today, the Middle East has been consumed by conflict and chaos. Although different circumstances surround each issue, religion, terrorism, disputes over the control of natural resources, and weak governance primarily allow conflict to persist in the Middle East.

An obstacle that arises in securing ships and ports is that of travelling to foreign ports. Security professionals are are encouraging the United States government to extend U.S. boundaries to foreign ports, which would put much emphasis on security at loading points (70). The fear is that attackers will board a ship at a foreign port and sail to American soil where they could practice terrorism. A way that shipping security has changed is that of the plan of the Container Security Initiative (CSI), which calls for international security criteria to identify high-risk cargo containers for pre-screening at their point of shipment (70). The Coast Guard has also increased patrols in the U.S. ports and waterways, specifically around the nation’s critical petro-chemical facilities (71). By 2004, The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code took effect requiring ship operators to develop security plans, appoint ship and company security officers and maintain a minimum level of on board security, while port officers are required to develop similar plans and hire a port facility security officer (71). This code made it mandatory for all ships to be secure both while still in ports and also while travelling. Not only does this protect passengers aboard the ship, but also citizens of the United States as threats cannot enter the country through shipping

Some of those collaborating are Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The IMO is leading an initiative in collaboration with many United Nations (UN) organizations in an attempt to create national legislation that will outlaw piracy. NATO is continuing to enhance its collaboration with its partners and international actors such as the European Union to ensure maritime security. Additionally among other programs that NATO oversees, Operation Ocean Shield is assisting in the fight against piracy off the Horn of

The first major threat of cargo supply chain is terrorist. It is clear that terrorists can see the potential of using the maritime trading system to conceal weapons or agents for attack purposes or to provide funding or support for their operations. Unknown risk results from the virtually limitless range of targets and tactics available to terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently has a limited ability to persistently monitor, detect, and track, non-emitting vessels that operate in Customs Waters, which spans from the shore line out to 12 nautical miles. The volume of non-emitting vessels without metadata is due in part by the lack of regulatory policy mandating vessels broadcast their identification and location which would assist with Maritime Domain Awareness. This limited ability situates DHS in need to mature the Maritime Domain Awareness Network and optimize the existing infrastructure and allows for flexibility to expand and evolve as the threat changes.

As a one of the world’s top maritime power, United States declared it’s “National Military Strategy”. Two essential principles of NMS is forward presence and crisis response. Based on the NMS, Navy and Marine Corps

Those challenges are located in dispersed area and different country, but most of the area of disaster located where the sea and land merge. In the maritime world whereas all activities of trade and social life activities occurred indicate that 80% peoples are resides within 100 miles of coastline. This situation required the expanding concept of littoral maneuver to hundreds of miles inland to resolve crises and the US Marine Corps need to aware about the geographical challenge in built strategy on littoral aspect. Moreover, in order to be ready on those challenges, the US Marine Corps seek for the future Naval integration capability development. The US Marine Corps will strengthen their partnership with the Navy and Coast Guard by find out the best way in operating effectively through maritime domain . This synergy of the US Marine Corps, US Navy and Coast Guard within their unique capabilities of their assets, like maneuver on the sea and water surface could meet the sufficient needs and the effectiveness of coordination among services for the planning and to conduct the theater level security

The 21st century came accompanied by different worldwide security’s challenges. In this complex environment the U.S. must be able to use efficiently all instruments of power to defend the national interests. Now than ever the U.S. military power must be prepared to defeat the enemy using air, land, and sea. Thus, the transition of troops from the sea to the shore will remain an essential way to achieve a position of advantage over the forces hostile to U.S. interests. Frequent concerns of other countries related to improvement of anti-amphibious and amphibious operations highlight the importance of these kind of warfare in the future conflicts. Today’s concern is not about the possession of amphibious capabilities, but about the

The universal declaration of basic human rights is a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Down to every single individual in every society today, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind. This Declaration to teach the ideology of respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international. Somalia, for example, is a long-running disastrous country that doesn't abide by the basic human rights. Somalia has a corrupt government and is infested with guns, and war. Piracy off the coast of Somalia has become the principal problem for ships, yachts, and fishing boats which significantly affects other countries as well.

waterways, making sure traffic flows in a safe and efficient manner.6)Living Marine Resources - Enforces domestic fishing laws through patrols and inspections.7)Ice Operations - Helps transport goods and personnel in connection with scientific and national security efforts in polar regions. Also breaks through ice with specialized ships and keeps track of icebergs to help direct commercial vessels.8) Marine Safety - Sets safety standards and inspects commercial vessels to ensure those standards are being maintained. 9)Marine Environmental Protection - Prevents and responds to oil and chemical spills, stops illegal dumping in U.S. waters and works prevent an invasive plant and animal species.10)Illegal Drug Interdiction - Uses sea vessels and aircraft to intercept illegal drug shipments and collect intelligence.11)Fish Stock Protection - Ensures foreigners don’t raid U.S. fish stocks.

There is no dispute that the Middle East, for the past century, has been a region plagued with tension and conflict. Differences in religion and ethnicity have been the source for hundreds of thousands of deaths, and the progression of those issues have shown very little evidence of slowing down as the bloodshed continues. Many parties on the global scale fear that the combination of evolving technology and weaponry, and desire to harness nuclear power, is fueling the hatred that some of the countries in the area have for one another and will eventually lead to an extremely disastrous nuclear war. As a result, international global organizations, such as the United Nations, have been working to prevent such an outcome. They are

Maritime piracy in recent weeks has been on the rise around the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin, and the Indian Ocean. As stated in the text book, “In the first six months of 2011, there were 266 pirate attacks on the world’s seas. More than 60 percent of those were by Somali pirates who are increasingly bold in their actions.” For example, in 2011 there was an attack by Somali pirates which shocked most. The Somali pirates during monsoon season targeted a ship and proceeded to shoot at it in the Indian Ocean.

Since many religions have started in the Middle East, it has become the center for erupting conflicts. For instance, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been in the news for many reasons. Both groups want control of the God given land that they both claim is theirs, according to God, and what had happened in the past. The result of the conflict is religious terrorism (PBS, 1). Continuing, some Middle Eastern politics have been in conflict, even dividing communities of the

After more than 50 years of war, terrorism, peace negotiation and human suffering, Israel and Palestine remain as far from a peaceful settlement as ever. The entire Middle Eastern region remains a cauldron waiting to reach the boiling point, a potent mixture of religious extremism, (Jewish, Christian and Islamic), mixed with oil and munitions.

the conflict in the middle east between 1948-1973 was not purely fuelled by the interest and concerns of the superpowers but rather of a series of conflictual incidents, aswell as the main wars that took place from the years from 1948-1967 such as the: 1948 War, The Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur war of 1973. But although the conflict was not fuelled by the superpowers, the influence of the superpowers and the reach of the superpowers into the Middle East was evident in the years both prior and following 1978. But even despite the influence and interests of the superpowers between and including 1948-1967 being undeniably evident, the extent of this influence cannot be said to have “fuelled the conflict”.