As reported in the July 7, 2004 WAR Report article, ?Southeast Asian navies to patrol Malacca straits,? the navies of Indonesia , Singapore , and Malaysia have begun coordinating their presence in that vital shipping corridor and, in fact, have rebuffed outside influence and cooperation from the US and other naval powers, a move that begs the question: What role should the US Navy play in this region and in the War On Terrorism?

This issue has risen to preeminence among Southeast Asian Muslim nations, which are caught between a growing tacit acceptance and support of jihadist Islam and the need to protect international trade, allay Western unease, and ensure their own security. For example, in mid-October 2004, journalist Eric Koo wrote a significant three-part analysis called ?Terror on the High Seas,? published in the highly respected Asia Times covering variously piracy, terrorism, and regional maritime strategy. Koo suggests that the increase of piracy and the potential for regional maritime terrorism can be viewed as a horizontal escalation in the coastal brown waters by disenfranchised sub-national groups and/or criminal elements in response to the US blue water predominance across the seas of Southeast Asia. Traditional assets of the big western navies that emphasize jet aircraft, cruise missiles, massive ships, and submarines are clearly out of place among archipelagos comprised of hundreds of islands and miles of coastline that provide refuge for small, but fast, watercraft.