The Panama Canal has stepped up security in recent months, fearing an attack on its sprawling 50-mile complex of shipping lanes, locks and dams, which could cause chaos for the world economy. Panamanian officials said any strike by Islamic militants would likely focus on shutting down canal traffic, since nearly 4.5 percent of global seagoing trade passes through the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “I don’t think the problem would be so much in terms of human lives if there were an attack, thank God,” said Stanley Muschett Ibarra, spokesman for the Panama Canal Authority. “But, yes, it would be devastating. … You cause some damage, and you make it inoperable. It would be that simple.” Full Story
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