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Interdiction Initiative Starts to Take Shape
Aiming to give sea legs to their evolving effort to intercept global
shipments of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), ballistic missiles,
and related technologies to terrorists and countries of proliferation
concern, participants of the 11-country Proliferation Security Initiative
held their first maritime interdiction exercise in September. The
group also approved a broad set of principles to guide their actions
under the U.S.-led initiative.
In the Coral Sea on Sept. 12-13, a U.S. Navy destroyer joined ships
from Australia and the Japanese Coast Guard, as well as French and
Australian aircraft, in hunting down, boarding, and seizing the
cargo of a merchant vessel pretending to carry WMD-related goods
in an exercise dubbed “Pacific Protector.” Germany, Italy,
the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom—the
other seven members of the initiative—sent observers.
Pacific Protector marked the first in a series of 10 exercises envisioned
over the next several months. Two are tentatively scheduled for
October. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom,
and the United States will lead some of the future practice interdictions,
which will include ground, air, and sea scenarios.
The exercises’ objectives are two-fold. They are designed to
improve the 11 countries’ capabilities to coordinate and carry
out interdictions together and send a signal to potential proliferators
that heightened attention is being paid to their dealings.
Senior U.S. government officials recently have argued that the initiative
and its exercises are intended make proliferators take greater pains
to hide their trade, making it more arduous and less profitable.
Though the initiative is ostensibly not targeted at any specific
countries, top Bush administration officials, such as Undersecretary
of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton,
leave little doubt that North Korea is the country that Washington
most wants to feel the initiative’s pinch. However, some U.S.
officials, as well as diplomats of other governments, are quick
to declare that the initiative is not a blockade of North Korea.
Pyongyang has reacted negatively to the initiative. North Korea’s
state-run press described the exercises as “blatant military
provocations” that could lead U.S.-North Korean relations to
an “explosive phase.”
China, which hosted six-party talks in August to try and defuse
tensions regarding North Korea’s bid to acquire nuclear weapons,
also expressed criticism of the initiative, fearing it could further
stress an already strained situation. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Kong Quan said Sept. 4, “Quite some countries have doubts over
the legality and effectiveness of the [initiative]. Under such circumstances,
one should act in a prudent manner.” He recommended that dialogue
is the best way to prevent proliferation.
Concerns about the initiative also appear to extend to some capitals
with close ties to Washington. Neither Canada nor South Korea has
publicly joined the effort, though U.S. officials say the initiative
is to be expanded as broadly as possible. China, Russia, and South
Korea have all reportedly been consulted about the initiative.
The initiative is still in its formative stages. President George
W. Bush announced the initiative May 31 and the participants held
just their third formal meeting Sept. 3-4 in Paris, where they agreed
upon a set of nonbinding principles framing the new interdiction
strategy.
Participants pledged not to ship weapons of mass destruction or
related delivery vehicles and technologies themselves and to “seriously
consider” cooperating in letting their vessels or those flying
their flags be stopped and searched if suspected of carrying such
cargo. They also vowed to inspect vessels and airplanes reasonably
suspected of transporting dangerous goods entering their territorial
seas or airspace.
The initiative does not license its participants to conduct search
and seizures unconditionally. A vessel in international waters,
generally 24 kilometers and further from a coastline, is typically
off-limits unless it is unmarked or the country whose flag the ship
is flying gives permission for it to be boarded.
The initiative does not authorize or empower its adherents to do
anything that they could not do before. It is more a spur to action
to take greater advantage of existing national and international
law to try and stop proliferation.
U.S. and foreign officials view sparse and tardy intelligence—not
a lack of authority or forces—as the biggest hurdle to implementing
the initiative. To remedy this shortcoming, the 11 countries committed
to improve their procedures for sharing information on illicit or
undesirable trade in a timely fashion to enable effective action.
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