EMEA News
BIMCO: Suez Attack Threat Must Not be Exaggerated
The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) this week has played down speculation over the current threat to ships traversing the Suez Canal following an apparent August 31 rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Cosco Asia.
"Suez is a tempting target for terrorists aiming to inflict global or local economic damage," BIMCO wrote in a notice to their membership.
"We must though not exaggerate the threat to shipping and indeed more importantly the threat to closing the canal - which can only really be done for any length of time by sinking a number of ships. Even the bridges being damaged could be cleared quite quickly."
BIMCO said it was not surprised that Egyptian authorities had played down the attack, and noted that a spokesman for the Egyptian Army had insisted that the attack "could not have harmed the ships," a position BIMCO agrees with.
"Even if RPGs were fired - we suspect they were - they could cause casualties but no fundamental damage. Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden have used the weapon innumerable times without sinking a ship," BIMCO wrote.
"And sinking multiple ships (as in 1956 and 1967) is what it takes to block Suez for more than a few days - a major operation in any terrorist's book."
Kevin C. Doherty, President of Nexus Consulting Group (Nexus), told Ship & Bunker earlier this week he suspected a terrorist group still at large was responsible for the Cosco Asia attack, and the group had also threatened further attacks.
However BIMCO believes it more likely the incident was an opportunist attack by militants unaffiliated with any external insurgent group who saw an opportunity to embarrass Egypt's military government.
BIMCO also suggested the attack could have been an attempt to frighten the current regime into concessions for fear of Western reaction to the threat of a canal closure, while also noting that given its economic significance, closure of the canal would not actually be in the interests of any group currently vying for power in the country.
"The immediate implications then are nil; no damage was done and traffic was uninterrupted. Further attacks of this type will likely have the same negligible effect," wrote BIMCO.
"For all the fears surrounding Suez, it is more likely to be temporarily blocked by vessels run aground by faulty steering gear than by terrorists."
BIMCO has issued guidance for owners and masters that contains a list of recommendations and mitigating factors in order to reduce risk passaging through the Suez canal.
