Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/368911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 AUGUST 2014 4 News JURGEN BALZAN MALTA is not involved in any mili- tary exercise undertaken by Mediter- ranean countries in conjunction with the US Navy to foil 9/11 style attacks in the region. Reportedly, the air forces of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Malta are participating in an exercise being con- ducted by US naval forces stationed in the Mediterranean and Italy, in a re- action to security concerns prompted by the Tripoli airport siege. So far the Office of the Prime Min- ister has not denied the reports but sources have told MaltaToday that the AFM was not taking part in any joint military exercise. Moreover, Malta Air Traffic Serv- ices Ltd (MATS) chief executive Brig. (retd) Carmel Vassallo, told MaltaTo- day that the air navigation provider is not participating in any military exer- cise to counter the possibility of a ter- rorist attack in the Mediterranean. Vassallo, a former Armed Forces of Malta commander, confirmed that MATS was not participating in any initiative taken by the 5 + 5 nations. However, this does not exclude that other countries are taking part in a counter-terrorism drill and according to a number of reports in the interna- tional media, Libya has been excluded from the security drill operations, carried out by the 5 + 5 nations of the Mediterranean, due to the deteriorat- ing security situation in the North African country. The Tripoli airport siege in which rebel militias bombed several aircraft led to the disappearance of several commercial planes, prompting fears of 9/11 style attacks in the Mediter- ranean. Countries on both shores are wor- ried about how the missing aircraft might be used by terrorists. Eleven civilian airliners were hi- jacked during the fighting. The 5+5 member states will now introduce simulations of intercepting civilian or military aircraft piloted by terrorists, in the joint military training. However, Vassallo warned that such attacks are not easy to predict and prevent, noting that in 2001, when four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists, "the US was absolutely unprepared." Vassallo, who retired as AFM com- mander in 2010, explained "intelli- gence is very important, however as the attacks on New York and Wash- ington DC showed, if the terrorists are well equipped and organised it is very difficult to stop them." He added that radars and other surveillance systems have their limi- tations, especially when dealing with aircraft flying at low altitude. Civilian air traffic operates at 5,000- 40,000 feet when in flight and most radar antennas are aimed relatively high, but military radars have differ- ent ranges. At low altitudes, natural and man-made physical features reflect radar signals and mountains and tall buildings can all show up on a radar. Aircraft can also be flown at a low altitude above ground level, using the earth's curvature to escape detection and Vassallo explained that although planes flying at such low altitudes would eventually be detected it might be too late and take radar operators "by surprise." But Vassallo reassured that intel- ligence plays an important role in counter-terrorism initiatives, adding that this would include a list of pos- sible targets. The reports on the anti-terrorism drills have been reported by Turkish agency Anatolia, and Zawya.com, a member of the Thomson Reuters group. An original claim was made by an unnamed Algerian military source to Istanbul media house World Bulle- tin, which focuses on Muslim nations and politics. According to the source, the drills would be conducted in coordination with the United States navy in the Mediterranean. "They will mimic the use of civilian or military planes in carrying out attacks." Vassallo added that during his time in the army, the AFM participated in regular exercises on hijacks and plane crashes, however it never participated in counter-terrorism exercises of the kind mentioned in the international media. Analyst Yakoub Mustafa said ter- rorist elements were now "present in abundance in Libya", having got hold of sophisticated weapons by buying them from "smugglers, professional armed militias or even ordinary citi- zens," he told Magharebia. "This volatile situation requires se- curity partnerships among multiple countries," he added. Libya's neighbouring countries are on high alert, as fighting intensifies between rebels who have seized light military and training planes that be- longed to the Libyan air force. The Moroccan army is reported to have put its artillery and rocket bat- teries on alert to counter any poten- tial threats in this regard. Moroccan media said the prepara- tions came hard on the heels of warn- ings made by western intelligence agencies of the potential targeting of Moroccan cities by militant groups in the region. Malta not involved in anti-terrorism initiatives At low altitudes, natural and man-made physical features reflect radar signals and mountains and tall buildings can all show up on a radar