The Threat of Maritime Terrorism and Responses: The Zone of Threat and the Sea Lane in a Global Strategy Map

Abstract

There are various arguments over the threat of maritime terror and its damageassessment. It is mostly pointless to discuss the possibility of maritime terrorism.Terrorists think of an action that is beyond our imagination. If someone had given awarning about a terrorist attack on several symbolic buildings using hijacked aircraftbefore September 11, he should have been given the name of “the boy who cried wolf.”All that’s required is an apt projection. It is important to step into the terrorists’ shoesto anticipate every conceivable shocking event and project the damage that could becarried out in the world’s busy sea-lanes or giant hub ports.Terrorism is not just a matter of peace and order. Responses to terrorisminevitably bring a change to the strategic structure of the world. In order not to bringabout an unstable strategic structure, an anti-terror war is required to approach itfrom three directions of deterring terrorism, stabilizing the security environmentand redressing the stage where terrorism will survive. To this end, as a new securityconcept, “Coexisting Security” is proposed as its basis.This paper touches on what sort of maritime terrorism could be carried out andhow much damage would be wrought. And then, it introduces the linkages betweenthe global strategic framework and the war on terror, and explores the fight againstterrorism.The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis , Vol. XVIII, No. 2, Summer 2006, pp. 5571.