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Article: Going for the jugular; Shipping in South-East Asia.(the Strait of Malacca is a tempting target for pirates and terrorists)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 12, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Strait of Malacca, through which a quarter of the world's maritime trade passes, makes a tempting target for terrorists and pirates
FACING west from Singapore's shores, it is hard to make out the Strait of Malacca, thanks to all the boats and islands scattered across the water. An endless procession of tankers, container ships, tugs, fishing boats, ferries and cruise-liners sails between tiny islets, through a shipping lane that narrows to as little as one and a half nautical miles at one point. Some 50,000 vessels, carrying roughly a quarter of the world's maritime trade, pass through the strait every year. So do about half of all seaborne oil shipments, on ...