Maritime terrorism has emerged as a formidable threat in the world, targeting both civilian and naval vessels in NATO’s area of operations. The threat is compounded by the use of maritime vessels and shipping lanes by criminals who are often in league with terrorists. With the possibility that weapons of mass destruction could be used as a terrorist weapon, efforts to pre-empt such attacks which could cause mass civilian casualties has become a top NATO priority, making it necessary for the alliance to expand its maritime frontier. As the stakes are raised, NATO must innovate in order to counter the new maritime threats. Memories of the hijacking of the Italian-flagged cruise ship P/V Achille Lauro in 1985 off Port Said, Egypt, were revived this year when the mastermind of the hijacking, Muhammad Abbas, died in Iraq. Members of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) had held the ship with 180 passengers and 331 crewmembers on board, hostage, demanding the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. They killed an invalid Jewish American passenger, before negotiating the release of the rest of the hostages against their safe passage. Full Story
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