Page 7 The Sun Bay Paper January 5, 2024 The Strinda’s crew — all citizens of India — fought the fi re. A French Navy frigate shot down a suicide drone that was “menacing” the Strinda. A U.S. Navy destroyer showed up to render aid. Meantime the Houthis engaged the world on the propaganda front. Houthi spokesmen claimed the Strinda was carrying crude oil to Israel. They reiterated a statement that henceforth Houthi fi ghters will attack any vessel they believe is heading for Israel, no matter the ownership and nationality. Commercial maritime sources reported the Strinda was carrying palm oil from Indonesia to Italy, possibly by way of Malta. The Houthis have attacked other vessels they claimed were going to Israel and facts proved the Houthi information was either dated or wrong. The Houthi attack on the Strinda represents a major escalation in Iran’s proxy war with Israel. The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) also expressed “grave concern” for the safety of international shipping. Some other obvious facts: The Strinda Incident involved three NATO nations, Norway, France and the U.S. Since Indian citizens crewed the ship, India, which is on the verge of becoming the world’s most populous nation, was also involved. A Norwegian government offi cial, Eivind Vad Petersson, told media that Norway is working closely with the U.S., France and Great Britain “both politically and militarily — to ensure free and safe navigation at sea.” Note he mentioned military cooperation, perhaps an international naval task force. Safe transit in the Red Sea matters. The Red Sea connects the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean. Annually around 19,000 commercial ships transit the waterway. That’s a lot of money. Iran knows it. So does the Joint War Committee. The JWC has members from Lloyd’s of London insurance and The International Underwriting Association of London (IUA). They represent organizations that underwrite “marine hull war business insurance” worldwide. The JWC evaluates the risks faced by ships carrying cargo. Higher risk raises the insurance cost. It is a detailed business involving products carried, geography traversed, crew training, shipper safety records, specifi c ships, specifi c cargoes and very complex politics. The JWC determines Listed Areas — areas where ship owners must notify underwriters their ships will traverse. War is ultra-risky. The Strinda Incident means the “war risk” insurance premium for vessels transiting the Red Sea and the shipping lanes within missile range of Yemen will rise. That means the price of their goods spikes. Many vessels already avoid Suez and sail around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. That takes more fuel and transit time — which costs more money — but avoids war risk. To the delight of Tehran’s ayatollahs, its Houthi proxy sea war infl icts economic damage on its Western enemies, including the U.S. But that damage is slow -- felt over time. To many Americans the Red Sea remains safely distant. Houthi missiles hitting freighters and U.S. Navy ships shooting down Iranian suicide drones -- that’s stunning televised imagery but it occurs in faraway places. But this is one way Iran and China wage incremental war on the America’s economy and will to fi ght. The cynical argue only Pearl Harbors and 9/11s drive Americans to take eff ective collective action. Battleships burning, toppled skyscrapers, dreadful loss of American life. After those shocks glazed eyes see galvanizing threat. The U.S. Navy and Air Force are powerful forces protecting North America. Unfortunately, they have global commitments. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) -- a great institution -- is tasked with defending America’s sea borders. But the USCG is overworked and under-resourced -- meaning it doesn’t have the ships and aircraft to adequately patrol America’s seacoasts, much less protect them. We know U.S. seaports are vulnerable to terrorist/saboteur attack. An enemy nuclear weapon hidden in a hold was a Cold War fear. But here’s a hard fact: U.S. coasts are vulnerable to proxy attack using 21st-century unmanned air and sea vehicles launched a hundred miles off shore. The U.S. has 12,480 miles of coastline -- equivalent to about half the Earth’s circumference at the Equator. Twenty-three U.S. states have ocean coastlines. Alaska (No. 1) has the longest: 6,640 miles. Florida (No. 2): 1,350. America’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends out 200 nautical miles. The seabed is immensely valuable -- minerals, food. Oil and gas platforms off the shores of Louisiana (No. 5), Texas (No. 6) and other Gulf states provide nearly 20% of America’s daily energy requirements. In 1942 these platforms did not exist, otherwise they would have been easy targets for Nazi U-boats. Today they are easy targets for Russian and Chinese subs or for terrorist/proxy forces. Austin Bay The History of Christmas In 497BC after building a temple to Saturn, god of the harvest, the Romans began celebrating Saturnalia. As time went by traditions of gift giving, role playing, excessive eating and drinking became part of the harvest festival. The week long festival ending on December 25th, the birthday of the Roman diety Sol Invictus, In 392AD, after the christianity became the offi cial religion of Rome, all Pagan festivals were forbidden; including the Olympics in Greece, as it was in honor of Zeus. Being such a big party at the darkest time of the year, Saturnalia was well loved and the Romans refused to stop celebrating. The church then decreed that Jesus was born on December 25th and that the celebration was about him. The Romans accepted that and the festival is still celebrated, though rebranded as Christmas. The party was there 5 centuries before Christ.. sent in by Nico Chaménos Iran’s War at Sea Targets Global Economy The “USS Carney” guided-missile destroyer defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and suicide drones in the Red Sea Cont. from pg. 1
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA2ODE3