Posted on 01/30/2002 5:29:12 AM PST by LiberteeBell
Jan. 29 - How safe are we? How safe are our sailors? After the USS Cole, after September 11th, it became a common site ... increased security on land.
But WAVY News 10 has uncovered disturbing details about security on the water.
The scene at the piers on the Norfolk Naval Base show the increased security. Military boats scan the water, armed guard protecting the ships. Buoys and nets underwater are meant to stop any small boat that gets close. But could someone slip through this security? Could a terrorist target the nuclear powered George Washington air craft carrier sitting in the middle of the base?
WAVY News 10 has learned that scenario may have happened. A possible attack was prevented just days after the USS Cole anniversary. Not by the patrol boats or buoys, but by someone across the pier who just happened to see a diver in the water, right next to the hull of USS George Washington.
Boats and divers were sent into the water but whatever or whoever it was got away.
Navy officials say at least five people saw the object in the water. It looked like it was wearing a wet suit and a back pack. Could it have been a manatee? The Virginia Marine Science Museum says it's highly unlikely the warm water creature would get anywhere near Norfolk in October.
Did the Navy not want this story out? When we first heard about this a month ago, the Navy's response was "it didn't happen." Even Admiral Robert Natter, Commander of the Fleet, said he didn't know anything about it.
But shortly after the sighting, a warning was sent to the entire fleet, including the Roosevelt overseas.
How could this happen after the USS Cole and September 11th? Investigators have been to local dive shops to see if anyone suspicious rented equipment.
WAVY News 10 is continuing to follow this potential security breach, and will have additional information in upcoming newscasts.
Significant damage. At least enough damage that the ship would be out of action for a significant amount of time. A whole lot depends upon what munition a diver attached and where specifically the munition was attached.
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
We have to understand that some would or could use the information to do damage or harm so lets not help any one with less than honorable intentions make life tough for the crews and security forces protecting them by providing even one more lesson in sabotage 101.......
And to all those who say BS the info is already available on the WW Web then link to it or shut their pie hole........
Stay Safe ....
In most cases there's a head up to top brass though so nobody gets hurt in the process.
When I was stationed in Germany we were constantly getting probed by friendly SpecOp d00ds during alerts. They'd walk around our motor pool putting stickers on vehicles and grabbing equipment that they'd later hand over to the very unhappy full-bird.
He'd in turn have us join him in his unhappyness by calling 4 wee-hour alerts in the next week until we got it right.
It kinda sucked but it was good training.
If that poser Marchinko tells you it's daytime,turn on your lights.
I agree,but I wouldn't even want to see anybody make any links. Who knows how many mentally-unbalenced losers there are out there that would like to get "famous" by becoming a copycat? I say that if they are going to do it,make them do ALL the work.
When (authorized) divers are in the water working all know it to include those standing watch. Not sure of the current threat con but I'd rather stand captains mast for shooting a carp or even a PADI/NAUI sport diver than letting someone blow a hole in the hull with a soviet SPM limpet mine.
Too many multi-lingual postings and surface patrols and troops standing watch for someone to accidentally swim a few miles or so to peek at a big ole boat.
SP ......agree 100%,.... but I've had others tell me I was living in a bubble if I believed such instruction wasn't available on the web so I just tried to respond to that point of order before it floated to the surface.......Agree 100% on making em find their own data.
STAY SAFE !!
There's a guy who's been warning of this sort of thing for years- since he could surely do it with some crews and enough money to get them where they need to be. I think he said he could sew up he fleet for at least 18 weeks with only the most rudimentary of explosives, and seemed more concerned about dolphins than other more conventional countermeasures, many of which weren't even being used because training is down so bad and people have gotten lazy over the past years. But no one paid much attention... everyone with the rank needed to get anything done was more concerned with maintaining the status quo until they could retire than risk getting involved in any serious effort to fix the weakness. And no, we don't have enough dolphins.
Yes and no. Some is obviously true. He WAS a SEAL,and SEALS do this sort of thing for a living.What you have to keep in mind is that Marchinko is a known liar and self-promoter who is a legend in his own mind.
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