NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008 13
‘The measure of success’
● An American fast patrol boat
based on RFA Cardigan Bay
races away from the Khawr
al Amaya oil terminal during
a defence exercise... (Below)
Iraqi marines man the guns
at the Al Basrah terminal as a
tanker fi lls up
Pictures: LA(Phot) Chris Winter,
FRPU West
SAILORS and Royal
Edinburgh, Campbeltown and admiral also discussed Britain’s “Without a doubt the Royal
Marines east of Suez
Chatham, plus RFA Argus and ongoing peacekeeping mission in Navy is a major player in Iraqi aqi
have bagged more than
her Sea Kings which can now be Iraq with Maj Gen Barney White- territorial waters – but I will not not
recognised,” he added. Spunner, in charge of the multi- detract from rest of the Coalition,on,
20 tonnes of drugs during “News of these significant national Allied force in the south in particular the US Navy and and
a crackdown on the
successes has been kept quiet for of the country. Coast Guard and the constant and and
‘hashish highway’.
operational reasons.” A few dozen miles to the south, vigilant work that is done by their heir
Seventy per cent of narcotics
Six tons of drugs fell to HMS frigate HMS Chatham continues patrol boats.”
Further south still, four RN RN
seized by Allied forces in the Gulf
Chatham when the Type 22 to patrol Iraq’s two oil platforms
warships have finished their work
and Indian Ocean region this year
stopped a dhow in the Gulf. at the tip of the Gulf.
on Operation Tecate.
have been captured by the RN –
“We realised something wasn’t The Devonport-based ship is no
HM Ships Atherstone,ne,
23 tonnes in all
right when the crew said they longer home to Cdre Duncan Potts
had been fishing for five days but and his staff, who have handed Chiddingfold, Ramsey and Blyth yth
For operational reasons, Allied
there was only a handful of fish in over the reins of Combined Task joined 18 other Coalition vessels sels
commanders have kept the
the freezer,” explained boarding Force 158. from the US, Kuwait and Iraq to to
publicity ‘lid’ on similar seizures
officer Lt Tom Philips. CTF 158 co-ordinates the sweep and search waters the size ize
in the Middle East. Until now.
“The helicopter crew had also efforts of Allied warships in the of the Isle of Wight for leftovveer r
Three British vessels and
told us that the dhow’s crew had northern Gulf, ensuring no harm ordnance from the northern Gulflf’s
their Royal Marine/RN boarding
been ditching bails out the back as comes to the two terminals and
troubled waters.
parties – HM Ships Montrose,
we approached. that trade flows freely into and out
The British quartet spent fivfivee
Edinburgh and Chatham – found
“We were working in pretty of Iraq’s ports.
weeks ploughing through whahat
drugs stashed aboard boats on
horrible conditions. When Command of the task group
was classed as a ‘mine danger area’ea’
the ‘hashish highway’, stretching
you are crawling through tight rotates around the Allies, with
in view of two decades of conflict lict
across the Indian Ocean from the
compartments in 50-degree heat Cdre Potts the latest Brit to occupy
at the tip of the Gulf.
shores of Pakistan to the Gulf of
and surrounded by rats and the hot seat. His time at the helm
That demanding period (the the
Aden and the eastern coast of
cockroaches, you have to remain came to an end in mid-July – four
ships moved through the area aatt
Africa.
pretty focused. and a half months in which, says
a mere 2kts) established that the the
The drugs recovered – hashish
“We had a job to do and the senior officer, substantial
area is without doubt mine-free ree
(cannabis), opiates (heroin),
everyone carried out their duties progress has been made.
and the charts can be reclassified.ed.
cocaine and amphetamines – have
with the utmost professionalism; For a start, Kuwait and Iraq
And it earned the British sailorors
an estimated value of £25m.
ultimately, the result was more “two parties with a fairly toxic
the Operation Telic medal
The outgoing senior US admiral
than worth it.” recent history” are now talking
(30 days in theatre is the
in the Middle East, Vice Admiral
With much of the RN’s focus to each other about co-operation
qualifying period).
Kevin Cosgriff, said there was
on protecting the oil platforms, in common waters, such as the
Vice Admiral Boisser
a clear link between the drugs
it’s easy to forget that there’s not Khawr abd Allah which leads to
visited the mine warfare ships
trade and the Taleban insurgency
an insignificant presence ashore in Umm Qasr.
back in base in Bahrain to present ent
in Afghanistan, with hashish
Iraq: two dozen in Baghdad, 130 Equally important is the fact
sailors with their awards during his his
accounting for around half the
in Basra/Umm Qasr and another that Iraqi sailors and marines are
whistle-stop tour of the Gulf.
regional narcotics trade.
170 on ships. increasingly taking over duties
As for the ships, they receivved
Although three RN ships
A sizeable number received a from Allied personnel, notably
some TLC after their exertions in in
were specifically involved in the visit from the Deputy Commander- searching oil tankers, patrolling the demanding environment of the the
successful searches, Cdre Keith in-Chief Fleet, Vice Admiral Paul the platforms and manning the northern Gulf.
Winstanley, the ranking Senior Boissier, who dropped in on the gun emplacements on terminals. “It’s a challenge for the the
Service officer in the region, said Naval Transition Team (training “To me the measure of success engineers to maintain the Ship’p’ss
it had taken a collective effort Iraqi sailors and marines) in Umm is simple: the oil has flowed every operational capability in these ese
from all British maritime forces to Qasr before heading on to Basra day, uninterrupted. Access has conditions. Periods like this are are
tackle the hashish highway. to chat with RN/RM personnel been gained to the main ports of vital to keeping ships in a good ood
“I am delighted by the based in the southern city. Iraq, uninterrupted. And the level material state,” said WO ‘Taff’
tremendous efforts of sailors and As well as talking with men of criminality has been kept to a Summers, Chiddingfold’s Marine
Royal Marines from Montrose, and women on the front line, the minimum,” the commodore said. Engineer Officer.
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● CINC in... Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet Vice Admiral Paul Boisser with some of the RN/RM team based in Basra
A LEADING SPECIALIST IN MILITARY LAW
Picture: LA(Phot) Jannine Hartmann, HQ MND(SE)
NNEW 013_NN_Aug.indd 1EW 013_NN_Aug.indd 1 114/7/08 09:46:474/7/08 09:46:47
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