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International News Title: Report: Japanese Tanker Was Target Of Attack Concerns about securing oil tanker traffic are under discussion once again after an investigation into an explosion that damaged a Japanese supertanker last week in the Persian Gulf concluded that the tanker was the target of an unsuccessful terrorist attack. The explosion that forced the tanker M. Star to return to the United Arab Emirates with its load of oil last week sparked international concern, with divers from the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet assisting Emirati investigators. While the ship's owner, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, initially said it suspected an attack, others said it was hit by a large wave or was involved in a collision with another vessel. But the official Emirati news agency, WAM, reported Friday that investigators found a dent and traces of what were described as homemade explosives on the M. Star's starboard hull, leading them to conclude that a waterborne attack "probably" caused the blast. Concerns About Shipping The attempt against the Japanese tanker occurred in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which sees an estimated 40 percent of the world's tanker-borne oil traffic. The explosion left a crew member wounded, and no oil was spilled. But the news reawakened concern about protecting vital shipping lanes. Counterterrorism experts have long warned that Islamist groups opposed to what they see as the Western exploitation of Middle Eastern oil could develop the means to target oil tankers. "The attack is not a major attack in terms of its target. But the geography is really worrying," said Mustafa Alani, director of national security and terrorism studies for the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center. "Now, they are able to attack outside the Strait of Hormuz where 17 million barrels of oil a day are transported. The fact that they are able to do this is a wake-up call." Industrialized countries have already deployed naval ships in an effort to protect oil and other cargo from pirates in the Gulf of Aden and elsewhere. Group Claims Responsibility Al-Qaida has carried out attacks on oil infrastructure on land in nearby Saudi Arabia, as well as a 2002 suicide bombing of the Limburg off the coast of Yemen and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden. But if the UAE report is confirmed, the July 28 incident would be the first militant attack in the strait, a narrow chokepoint between Oman and Iran. For years, fears have been high that the waterway could be the site of conflict between the United States and Iran, but the reported attack underscored concerns that militant groups could target civilian vessels to foment economic instability. Earlier this week, an Islamist group calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. The statement was issued by al-Qaida's communications wing, the al-Fajr Media Center, and posted on militant websites. It included a photo of the purported suicide bomber pointing to a photograph of a tanker on a laptop. It said it had delayed the announcement until several group members involved in the operation "returned safely to base." The Abdullah Azzam Brigades has in the past claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the August 2005 firing of Katyusha rockets that narrowly missed a U.S. amphibious assault ship docked at Jordan's Aqaba Red Sea resort but killed a Jordanian soldier. The group also has claimed it was behind the July and October 2004 bombings at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik and two other resorts that killed a total of 98 people. Abdullah Azzam Brigades operates under the al-Qaida umbrella but consists of different cells that are not directly controlled by the terrorist network, according to Evan Kohlmann, a terrorism analyst with New York-based security consultancy Flashpoint Global Partners. He said the network has long talked of attacking "the economic lifelines and infrastructure in this region." "They have gone from rocket attacks in Lebanon and now moved into a suicide, boat bombings attack on an oil tanker," Kohlmann said. "It's an escalation. It may not be the most sophisticated attack we have ever seen. But it is an escalation." He said the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has called for attacks in the Persian Gulf at least four times in the past six months. Some Skepticism Analysts were initially skeptical of the claim, noting that the group was known for operating from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Kamran Bokhari, an analyst with STRATFOR, a private security think tank in Austin, Texas, said he remained unconvinced that it was a terrorist attack, in part because of the cautious Japanese response. "It's not clear at all this is an attack and thus far it is a mysterious event," he said. Japanese Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said Friday he has instructed diplomatic channels to confirm WAM's report with Emirati officials. Japan's official in charge of maritime safety, Hiroaki Sakashita, said the ministry has collected evidence and samples, including residue left on affected parts of the tanker, for its own independent investigation. "First we will analyze everything we obtained before making any judgment," Sakashita said. Lt. John Fage, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said Friday that a team of Navy divers had examined the ship. But he had no further information on the UAE claims. The ship, loaded with 270,000 tons of oil, was heading from the petroleum port of Das Island in the United Arab Emirates to the Japanese port of Chiba outside Tokyo. WAM reported that the vessel left the Emirati port of Fujairah on Friday after damages to the hull were repaired.
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