Syrian Forces storm Dara, deploy tanks against the demonstrators

April 25, 2011, 5 pm EDT by Donna Abu-Nasr

Updates with militant comments from first paragraph.) See EXTRA for more the Middle East unrest).

April 25 (Bloomberg) - security forces Syrians stormed the city of Dara, in the South, the site of the events more sustained against President Bashar al-Assad, killing at least five people, witnesses said today.Tanks Dara came on the eve of four fronts, Abdullah, one of the witnesses, said in an interview by satellite phone, punctuated by the sound shots. Abdallah, who would provide only his surname because of concerns for his safety, said that he saw 20 bodies scattered through the streets of the city. Three he helped pull a street belonged to the family al-Shafran, according to their identity cards he said.Mohsen, another witness, said in an interview with Dara tanks opened fire against people who met in groups and at least five killed.The Syria has intensified violent repression against demonstrators, in the past week, leaving more than 100 dead. Decision Assad to end a State of emergency in place for half a century and promises of future political and economic measures, has failed to halt the spread of protests against his regime echoing those that toppled Egypt and Tunisiathe leaders of this year.The Syria is an ally of the Iran and a power broker in neighbouring countries to the Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah, a group armed with Shia Muslims. Assad and other officials say conspirators-backed foreign are seeking to exploit the expression of legitimate popular demands as a pretext for violence. "State in Danger'The assault of Dara was a bid by the Government to eradicate"armed insurrection"by groups using advanced weapons against the security forces, said Imad Fawzi Shueibi, who heads the Center for strategic studies and the data, in a telephone interview from Damascus today. "The question at the moment is to suppress the insurrection,"after the use of violence by demonstrators"models replaced for civilian applications,"he says. "The State is in a dangerous situation."Mahmoud Merhi, who heads the Arab Organization for human rights, said in an interview today that nine people were killed in the coast of Jableh City yesterday after security forces opened fire to prevent movement in the streets. That brings the number of people killed during the four days of 135, while nearly 300 people were arrested, said.United States finds SanctionsViolence in Syria led to the United States to consider measures, including sanctions against the officials of the Assad regime that led to repression, an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President Barack Obama April 23, condemned "the scandalous use of violence" by the Syrian security forces.Abdullah, the witness of Dara, said telephone lines and power in the region have been cut and Government forces opened fire as a tactical scare to prevent residents of the demonstration. As he spoke, the sound of gunfire followed by a landing nearby shell could be heard. Abdullah said that he had to hang up because he wanted to take refuge.The cities of Nawa and Duma have been also surrounded by security forces, with lines telephone cut residents and only permitted access, said Merhi.Faisal al-Haymad, Vice-President of the Chamber of commerce of Dara, said al-Jazeera yesterday that he is resigned to protest against the repression of the regime and said that nowHe joined the opposition.Sheikh Ahmad al-Sayasneh, the imam of the mosque in Dara Omari and a member of a delegation which held talks with Assad, after the first wave of violence last month said yesterday that it has joined the protesters. The imam said in an interview with al-Jazeera, he hides as security forces were looking for him because he had denounced the as "killers." "We have reached a point of no return with them after they killed our sons, and there is no place for discussions," said.

-Editors: Andrew j. Barden, Patrick Harrington, Ben Holland.

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The arms race against hackers

Somali pirates and their weapons, among the fishing boats in the port city of Hobyo Jehad Nga

By Ira Boudway

April 14 the International Chamber of Commerce reported that piracy at sea had struck a high. In the first three months of this year, according to the Chamber of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), there were 142 attacks, more than in the first quarter of each year since the Office of maintenance of the track in 1991. Somali pirates were responsible for most of these attacks, which have increased considerably in number and level of violence since 2006, when the Islamic Authority on the coast of Somalia began to crumble in the wake of an invasion to the U.S.-backed by Ethiopian troops. Last year, pirates used guns to at least 243 attacks and took 1,181 hostages. They are now equipped with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. They are taking freight transporters in bulk and tankers with their teams and demanding multimillion-dollar ransom.

In addressing this 21st century threat of former version, shipowners, often at the instigation of their insurers, have resorted to tactics, old and new - barbed wire, pipes and fire rooms without danger for long distance, dazzlerset laser acoustic devicesmore recently, armed guards. They have little choice: while the international naval forces have intensified their patrols - creating an international recommended Transit Corridor across the Gulf of Aden in 2009 - pirates responded by broadening the scope of their operations, launching their skiffs of mother vessels far at sea, as well as the coast. Accordingly, the shipping industry was left to to fend by himself to a few square miles of 2.8 million of the ocean. "The Indian Ocean is essentially the book Wild West," says John s. Burnett of Maritime & underwater security Consultants (MUSC) in London.

Two years ago, a consortium of 11 industry groups, including the International Chamber of Shipping and the Baltic and International Maritime Council, began publishing a set of best management practices (BMP) for ships passing through areas of high risk. According to BMP, now in its third iteration, the speed of a ship and her freeboard (the distance between the level of the sea and the bridge) are paramount. Boats with more bridges 25 feet above the water is rarely attacked. And no ship travelling at over 18 knots was flown successfully. The more lucrative targets, especially oil, are also the most vulnerable. Superpétroliers called ships (very large crude carriers) generally move at a maximum speed of 14 knots and, when fully loaded, their bridges are only 12 feet above the waves, explains Michael g. Frodl, a consultant for emerging risks that evaluates piracy for popular Lloyd of London associated with insurers. "I'm an out-of-shape 50 years", he said. "With a rope, even I could figure how to get more than 12 feet.".

When hackers attempt to Board, BMP suggests establishing a Citadel, or a space secure under the bridge where the crew can close engines while they hide and wait for help to arrive or for hackers to abandon the ship. "Some people think just put a lock on the door of the room engine is a Citadel," explains Peter Dobbs, a senior underwriter to Catlin, one of the principal underwriters at Lloyd's. "Good citadels control the ship, have independent supply air and satellite telecommunications, within two or three cords of security and can probably be found by the pirates." Even the most advanced Citadel, however, does overcome pirates if even a crew member is left outside. In the case of the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship that made headlines in April 2009 as the first ship flying American to be seized by pirates off the coast of the African coast in more than 200 yearsmost of the crew of 20 members themselves locked in the engine room. The captain, Richard Phillips, suspended above the deck and was finally taken hostage on a lifeboat pirate. He was rescued days later by Navy SEAL snipers.

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