Terrorism

Explosion Hit Japanese Supertanker

“Amateur attempt” to copy USS Cole attack.

First pirates, now this: A Japanese supertanker was rocked by an explosion on July 28, and United Arab Emirates authorities are now saying it was a terrorist attack. "An examination carried out by specialized teams has confirmed that the tanker has been the subject of a terrorist attack," a state news agency quoted an unidentified coastguard source as saying. Reuters quotes Mustafa Alani of the Gulf Research Center as saying that the attack had the markings of a “very amateur attempt” at mimicking the 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden. Two days ago, Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group with ties to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Strait of Hormuz, where the attack occurred, is the route along which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil travels, and is already heavily patrolled by U.S. and other warships. The explosion injured one seaman but didn't result in an oil spill.