ICS And ECSA Summary Of Flag State Rules On Arms And Private Armed Guards On Vessels, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Maritime Security: ICS And ECSA Compile Flag State Rules On Arms And Private Armed Guards
When this first came out, I thought it was a great idea and resource. The funny thing is, I couldn’t find the PDF for this thing at ICS or at the ECSA. Perhaps it was buried somewhere? Either way, I took the time to find it and get it on my Scribd for anyone to access and locate conveniently. Pretty cool. –Matt
ICS: Flag State Rules on Arms and Private Armed Guards
August 17, 2011
With the assistance of its members, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in association with the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), has compiled a useful reference document collating the policy and rules of Flag States on the carriage of arms and private armed guards on board vessels.?The document, providing tabulated information on Flag States’ rules, has been added to the ICS website and is proving to be a popular reference tool for shipowners and other interested parties within the shipping community.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Industry Talk: US Military Awards Contracts In Afghanistan To Get Money Away From Insurgents
Interesting news. Now I don’t know if the attack on Supreme Group was connected at all to this latest news, but it is an interesting thought. Because no doubt that actions like this will make some of the shady companies in Afghanistan pretty mad. And if they are connected to the Taliban in any way, then to set up a suicide assaulter team to take out the competition or send a message would not be surprising. All of this is just speculation though. –Matt
U.S. military awards contracts in Afghanistan to get money away from insurgents
By Karen DeYoung
August 15, 2011
The U.S. military has moved to stem the flow of contract money to Afghan insurgents, awarding at least 20 companies new contracts worth about $1 billion for military supply transport and suspending seven current contractors it found lacking in “integrity and business ethics.”
The new contracts, which were finalized Monday and will take effect next month, aim to eliminate layers of brokers and middlemen who allegedly skimmed money, and to allow more transparency in a complex web of Afghan subcontractors paid to provide security for the supply truck convoys.
“I think we’ve finally got our arms around this thing,” said a senior military officer who was authorized to discuss the matter only on the condition of anonymity. The new contracts, the official said, were the result of a year’s worth of “intelligence work and asking the right questions. We’re now starting to take action.”
Congressional investigators determined last year that much of the transport and security money went to the Taliban and Afghan warlords as part of a protection racket to ensure the safe arrival of the convoys, conclusions that were confirmed this spring by military and intelligence inquiries.
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Industry Talk: Four Guards At Supreme Are Killed In Suicide Assaulter Attack Near Kandahar Airfield
Rest in peace to these fallen guards. Afghan security contractors have definitely paid a high price in Afghanistan.
Although this attack is interesting in that it came out right after this bit of news about the Host Nation Trucking contracts. Was this an attack designed to take out the competition? Who knows, but maybe someone out there has a better idea?
The other thing I wanted to point out is that they stopped the attackers at the front gate. The two bombers may have blown up that front gate and killed four guards, but the other security forces were able to neutralize the third bomber in a firefight and stop them at the breach. A tragic loss of life, but they definitely stopped the attack from reaching the client. That is awesome and Til Valhall. –Matt
Four die in Taliban attack near Afghan NATO base
By Mamoon Durrani
8/15/2011
Four security guards died Monday as suicide bombers targeted a fuel depot for NATO-led forces close to one of Afghanistan’s biggest bases, where thousands of foreign troops are stationed.
The attack happened at a facility belonging to logistics company Supreme, near the sprawling Kandahar airfield, which acts as a hub for troop operations across south Afghanistan, the Taliban’s heartland and focus of the war.
The police commander for southern Afghanistan, General Salem Ihsas, said four Afghan guards working for a private security firm were killed in the assault, which happened at around 9:00 pm (1630 GMT).
He said eight other guards — three from Nepal and five from Afghanistan — were also wounded.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the militant group was behind the attack in a telephone call from an undisclosed location.
The insurgents frequently target organisations, both foreign and Afghan, which work with the 140,000-strong foreign military in Afghanistan as well as fuel convoys and tankers supplying the international force.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) relies on contractors to provide a wide range of services in Afghanistan, particularly at large hub bases such as Kandahar airfield.
Ihsas said three suicide bombers were behind the attack, with two blowing themselves up at the compound gates and a third shot dead by security forces in a gun battle.
The fighting is now over and “we are in control,” Ihsas said, adding the suicide bombers had not managed to get inside the compound.