Driverless

Call this news a case of separation anxiety.

British Open runner-up Ian Poulter pulled out of the Singapore Open after being unable to replace the driver that was stolen at the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai, which ended on Monday.

"I am really gutted," he said Wednesday. "I have been thinking about it for four hours and I have decided to withdraw because my new driver will not arrive on time.

"It is disappointing because I did not come all this way not to play. But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly [by using a different driver], I may have lost ground."

The Cobra driver, which he had used in this year's Ryder Cup at Valhalla, was snatched from his bag Saturday at the Sheshan Golf Club. Poulter, ranked No. 25 in the world, offered a reward for the club's return, and signs were posted around the club. A building camera caught an image of the robber, but he was not able to be identified.

"I'm absolutely distraught about it as I had spent months testing drivers till I found the right one," Poulter said. "Although I keep two spares, one in America and one in Europe, they just don't feel the same."

The Singapore Open starts on Thursday, but Poulter was told by the manufacturer that a replacement would not have been ready until Friday.

He's absolutely distraught over a lost golf club. One can only imagine how Ian would feel if he lost something important. Like his parking pass a loved one. I thought only US born PGA pros were spoiled till now.

By the way Morgan Pressel lost her set entire set of golf clubs in 2007 right after winning the Kraft Nabisco. Morgan didn't withdraw from any LPGA events.

Loud and clear

Super Mex begins her 2008 LPGA season the way she left off in 2007.

SINGAPORE - Lorena Ochoa completed a runaway victory in her first tournament of the year, closing with a 4-under 68 to leave Annika Sorenstam 11 strokes behind Sunday in the rain-slowed HSBC Women's Champions.

Competing for the first time since winning the ADT Championship in November for her eighth 2006 victory, Ochoa finished at 20-under 268 on Tanah Merah's Garden Course. The top-ranked Mexican star earned $300,000 for her 18th career LPGA Tour victory.

Sorenstam won the B-flight, shooting a 71 in the rainy afternoon conditions for her third straight top-four finish. Slowed by neck and back injuries last year, she won the season-opening SBS Open in Hawaii for her 70th LPGA Tour title and first since September 2006, then finished fourth last week in the Fields Open.

Paula Creamer, the Fields Open winner, shot a 73 to finish third at 7 under. Laura Diaz (71) was another stroke back in the first-year tournament, and Karrie Webb (74) and Stacy Prammanasudh (71) followed at 5 under

In an event where only 13 players finished under par, Ochoa opened with rounds of 66, 65 and 69 to take an eight-stroke lead over Sorenstam and Creamer into the final round. Ochoa missed a chance to break Cindy Mackey's 72-hole record for margin of victory of 14, but topped her own mark of 10 in the 2006 Tournament of Champions.

I was a credentialed member of the media when Ochoa won the ADT Championship last November. She dominated that tournament too, but ADT's format where scores reset doesn't reflect it.

Lorena could win tournaments in double digits this year. The first major, The Kraft Nabisco is a month away, Lorena will be gunning to win that after having chances there the last few years.

*- This was the LPGA's first ever visit to Singapore. Next year the tour will have a Hawaii/Asia swing consisting of two events in Hawaii followed by Singapore and Thailand.

*- Rumor has it the LPGA Tour may visit China in 2008. On a week this fall where there is no tournament scheduled. There is a market for ladies professional golf in Asia.

*- How about that Suzann Pettersen? Winner of five tournaments in 2007, after coming up with zero prior to last year, she has finished 14th, 15th, and 30th in 2008.

It is kind of dumb to think a golfer is great just based on one year(or making a comeback based on one round). All those golf prognosticators who though Suzann would tear things up again in 2008 are liable to be eating crow at the end of year over the Norwegian(She's could be this year's version of Julieta Granada), and ignoring Hee Won Han. Hee Won BTW who didn't play in Singapore, was 11th on the money list going into the tournament. Are you ever going to answer those emails Ron Sirak or Golf World or are you going to never admit you were idiots for leaving Han off your list? I'm expecting too much again from the golf media.

Before someone says I may be reading too much into Ochoa's win, we have two previous years worth of proof to see how dominating Super Mex has become on the LPGA.

*- Annika Sorenstam finishes second this week. A win, a second, and a top five. No question, Annika is back.

Big shoes to fill

Some news from Singapore. I actually heard of elephant boots before. A producer for a James Bond movie once ordered them, however they were never used.

Linked to- Adam, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation,

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Sexy Manolos or Jimmy Choos may top the wishlist of many women this Christmas, but huge waterproof boots were the ideal festive gift for two jumbo females at Singapore's zoo.

Vets on Wednesday fitted Asian elephants Tun and Jamilah with specially-made protective boots made from a durable, breathable fabric in a bid to relieve their chronic foot lesions.

Tun, 20 years old, has one front leg longer than the other. Her problems started when a male elephant in the same exhibit mounted her and caused her to buckle, the zoo said.

"The best solution we could think of was some type of protective boot that was durable enough for elephant wear-and-tear and possibly also waterproof," said vet Sonja Luz.

The zoo had previously used acupuncture and hot compresses to help with the pain before trying the huge boots on for size.

Making sure the elephants keep the footwear on, however, is a challenge, as the smart mammals quickly learned to undo zips during trial fittings.

"A foot of an elephant is very unlike that of a human's -- they weren't designed with shoes in mind," said Raymond Lee, footwear specialist at GORE-TEX, the firm that designed the booties.

Free paint job

From Reuters-

SINGAPORE- A test by Singapore air force of a red plume of smoke for an acrobatic display has backfired after a cloud of the dye polluted nearby farms' vegetable plots.

The air force was testing the dye on the ground, but strong winds carried the smoke away from the base, the ministry of defense said in a statement on Saturday.

Nearby farms had to destroy 200 tonnes of vegetables -- about 10 truck loads -- since the dye is not approved for food use, the Straits Times paper said.

The ministry of defense said it would not cause adverse health effects if inhaled.

The paper said it had received a flurry of complaints from people saying everything from a pet cat to white cars were sprinkled with the red dye. One farmer estimated his losses at S$70,000 ($48,410), the paper said.

Claims for compensation will be considered, said the ministry's Colonel Darius Lim in the statement.

I certainly hope people will be compensated. Especially the farmer mentioned above. Knowing Singapore as I do, the people injured by the blunder may not want to protest too much. It is liable to decrease their claim not increase it.

Linked to- Jo, Samantha Burns, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County,

Long Distance call

Phil Mickelson is struggling with his golf swing at the Singapore Open.

SINGAPORE — Phil Mickelson sought some long-distance coaching after finishing two strokes off the pace in Thursday's opening round of the Singapore Open, behind a trio of leaders that upstaged the tournament's big names.

Mickelson was as surprised by the quality of the opposition as he was dismayed with his form off the tee as he recorded a three-under 68 at the US$4 million (2.7 million) tournament.

He was two shots behind Australia's Gavin Flint and Kane Webber and Jin Park of the United States, who each shot a five-under-par 66.

"I scored well and got the ball into the hole well," Mickelson said after the round. "But my driving has been terrible and the worst that its been since I started working with (coach) Butch (Harmon).

"Its 10:15 his time at night and I'm going to give him a call, wake him up.

"I'm lucky to escape with a three-under-par round. I'll talk to Butch to see if I can get it ironed out for tomorrow."

Mickelson, who is attending the tournament after his family home narrowly escaped the Californian wildfires, was taken aback by the challenge of the course and rival players.

"I didn't expect the course to be that difficult," Mickelson said. "This is a tour-caliber golf course. The fairways are in perfect condition, and it's tight. The rough is thick and the greens are fair and fast. It's a good test of golf.

"I haven't been made aware of how good the golf is in Asia. These players are strong."

Phil's history of wayward tee shots involves much more than the Singapore Open and last year's US Open. In the 1995 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, Phil's refusal to think conservatively when playing the par five 16th hole, probably cost him the championship. Phil played the hole in six over par for four rounds. That year's US Open winner, Corey Pavin, played the hole in a less swashbuckling fashion and scored -1 for four days. Phil finished T-4 four shots behind Pavin.

Can a swing coach really help a player half way around the world? I'd think Harmon would need to see at least video of Phil's swing to be able to help.

Maybe Phil(or another golfer) has been helped this way before. Feel free to correct me.

Thirdly, I don't know why Phil is so surprised about the Asian tour or the golf course in Singapore. Payne Stewart, Greg Norman, and Vijay Singh to name a few all got their professional start playing in these tournaments. The Asia and Australia tours are hardly the equivalent of bush leagues.

Linked to- Adam, Bright & Early, Bullwinkle,

Outstanding customer service

Those Singaporeans really know how to take care of people.

TOULOUSE, France (AFP) - "There is no first class on this plane, sir. This is Suite Class," repeats the Singapore Airlines steward as she shows off the front of the plane to curious onlookers.

All of the guides parroted the same line on Monday as the carrier unveiled what it called a "new standard for luxury and comfort" in the Airbus A380, the world's biggest passenger jet.

First class has been rejected by the Asian carrier as a label for the 12 seats on the plane that feature 58-centimetre (23-inch) flat-screen televisions, sheets by French designer Givenchy and a full-length bed with separate mattress.

That sounds like first class to me. International airlines put US carriers to shame in how First and Business Class customers are treated. I've flown internationally in Business and First Class. Singapore Airlines was excellent when my wife and I flew Manila to Singapore. Dutch carrier KLM was a little mixed. Their service on cross Atlantic flights is very good, but within Europe, there was little difference between Business and Coach. KLM still sitting three people across on 737 flights I flew between Amsterdam and Zurich, Vienna and Warsaw that I have flown on. Granted there was more leg room up front.

For couples with the money, there is an option to join two suites together to make a double bed, forming a self-contained bubble for two with closed sides and complete privacy.

Allowing nookie at 35-40,000 feet. That is really taking care of customers.

Disclosure- TFM doesn't work for Singapore airlines, but maybe I should.(Cue the sarcastic laughter)
Linked to- DragonLady, High Desert Wanderer, Is it just me?, Right Wing Nation,

Thorns

From the Financial Times-

Indonesia’s often prickly relations with Singapore have hit another thorny patch as Jakarta has shelved defence co-operation and extradition agreements that the countries signed six months ago.

Separately, Indonesia’s business competition supervisory commission, the KPPU, told the Financial Times on Wednesday that investigators had found “strong indications” that Temasek, Singapore’s state investment fund, had violated Indonesia’s anti-monopoly laws.

The developments follow moves by Indonesia earlier this year to ban sand and, briefly, granite exports to Singapore. The island state has also expressed concern at Indonesia’s failure to prevent forest and peat fires from smothering it with polluting haze for long periods.

Jakarta-based analysts believe that creeping xenophobia, particularly among legislators, is driving Indonesian policy.

Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia’s foreign minister, said on Tuesday that the defence agreement would be put aside until “the situation is conducive to proceed”. Since the agreement was signed as a package with the extradition treaty, the latter will not go into effect either.

Legislators complained that Indonesia was ceding sovereignty to Singapore by allowing the tiny country access to sea and air space for military exercises.

Indonesia, a nation of 234 million people, feeling threatened by a country of 4.5 million people, is just silly. Even economically based on GDP, Indonesia outpaces the smaller Singapore.

As for Tempasek, they own a large share of Indonesia's two biggest cellular companies. Is that really anti-competition? How did Tempasek acquire their stake? I'm assuming none of happened overnight, or in the months since the treaty ratified.

Bottom line- I think Indonesia is acting both irrationally based on some unfounded jealousy for Singapore. If Indonesia wants to continue growing as a power in both the region and the world, they need to put things in proper perspective so far as their neighbors go. What does a tiger have to fear from a fly?

Linked to- Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County,

Thou shalt not steal

Some news from Singapore. You could say the judge threw the book at him.

Linked to- Blue Star, Bullwinkle, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County,

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean judge sentenced a man to four months in jail for stealing a Bible, admonishing him with Scripture before hauling him off to prison, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

District judge Bala Reddy also gave a new Bible to the 26-year-old thief, who said he had tried to steal the book from a bookshop last month because he wanted to replace his old, tattered copy.

At the Tuesday sentencing, the judge told the defendant -- who has previous convictions for theft -- to open his gift.

"You will see at page 65 that it says "Thou shalt not steal. While you are in prison, sit in prison and read the Bible, and ensure that you don't come before the courts again," Reddy said.

Failing to takeoff

Some news from Singapore-

SINGAPORE (AFP) - A proposed Singapore spaceport, announced last year, has yet to get off the ground because the company is still looking for local partners to finance it, a US space travel company said Tuesday.

Eric Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Space Adventures, said his company has received interest from potential space travellers across the region -- including Japan, China and Malaysia -- but the Singapore project has yet to take flight because the company still needs local partners.

"There is not enough local support... we are still looking for local partners to help finance the Singapore project but it certainly remains a possibility and we are still working through it right now," Anderson said at the Forbes Global CEO Conference.

Space Adventures, which first made its name by sending US millionaire Dennis Tito into space in 2001, announced 18 months ago plans to develop the Singapore spaceport for suborbital space flights along with educational and tourist attractions.

It said the project, costing at least 115-million US dollars, was being undertaken with a Singapore consortium.

The announcement last year came shortly after Space Adventures said it planned a commercial spaceport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

An official of the Singapore Tourism Board last year expressed optimism that the spaceport in the city-state would quickly become a reality.

But on Tuesday Anderson said Singapore is one of several Asian countries being looked at by his company, which is also planning a facility in the United Arab Emirates.

"We are still looking at different locations but we've been working pretty heavily in the Emirates and also in Asia," said Anderson.

"It hasn't happened yet and we're obviously looking at a lot of other options but somewhere in Asia is a critical market for us and hopefully in the next few months we would find the right place to do it," said Anderson.

The suborbital spaceflight offered by Space Adventures allows the traveller to fly 62 miles (100 kilometres) above earth and experience weightlessness for about five minutes just like an astronaut, its website said.

Anderson declined to reveal the identities of the wealthy Asian individuals who have expressed interest in space travel but he said price is not an issue for the world's high-flyers.

The space ride can cost 100,000-200,000 US dollars, Anderson said.

"I have had five clients who went to space... they all said it was worth every penny and more," he said.

"We have a lot of people waiting to go."

Anderson will need alot of people to make this venture profitable. Just to recover the 115 million, he'll need 600-800 customers. Are there that many rich kooks in the world who want to see space for a few minutes and take the risk of being blown to smithereens also?(If I had the money to afford such a ticket, I wouldn't buy it.) I would think potential investors are asking themselves those questions.

Linked to- Bullwinkle, Cao, Mad Pigeon, Morewhat,

Feng Shui

Some news from Singapore.

Bad feng shui has been ruled a legitimate reason to sell a home in Singapore and not have to pay taxes on the proceeds.

Singapore’s High Court ruled Thursday that a couple was indeed forced to sell their apartment due to the lousy design that soured the feng shui energy, so they don't owe the government a tax on their gains.

Feng shui is the Asian art of designing and decorating a home or office so that positive energy flows throughout and bad energy is kept outside.

The Straits Times said the case, believed to be a first in Singapore, involved a couple who tax collectors had alleged were trading real estate in the 1990s and therefore owed the government a cut.

Interesting decision. Too bad we can't see the legal reasoning used in writing. It had to be interesting reading.

So if someone doesn't have to report gains on the sale of a house for bad Feng shui, can a South Florida resident do the same because half the sliding doors in his house can't be opened either? I doubt the IRS will be sympathetic to that argument?

Linked to- Bullwinkle, Morewhat, Samantha Burns, Stuck on Stupid,

LPGA News

*- For the first time in 2008, an LPGA Tournament will be played in Singapore.

SINGAPORE -- Taking a cue from the men's HSBC Champions event, the LPGA Tour announced a new Asia-based tournament to be added to the schedule in 2008.

The HSBC Women's Champions will take place Feb. 28-March 2, with a field of 78 players competing over four rounds of stroke play. Winners on the LPGA Tour, leading money winners from the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA), Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, Ladies European Tour (LET), Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG), Duramed Futures Tour, Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and the top player from the continent of Africa will each qualify for the event.

"This event will bring together the champions from the LPGA and from the leading tours around the world and will showcase the global talent of women's professional golf," LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said in a statement. "By bringing this event to Asia, we believe we are extending the popularity of the game."

The inaugural HSBC Women's Champions will boast a prize money of $2 million (with $300,000 to the winner), the largest purse for a women's event in Asia, and will be played at the prestigious Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore. Tanah Merah has already hosted a number of top class professional events including the Singapore Open, the Johnnie Walker Classic and the LPGA-sanctioned Lexus Cup in 2005 and 2006.

"I am really excited to hear about the HSBC Women's Champions," Korea's Se Ri Pak said. "The new location and qualifying criteria will make it a very exciting week. When my countryman Yong-Eun Yang won the men's Champions event, the papers called it Asia's Major, so this would be a fantastic title for me to win."

The LPGA normally treks through Asia late in the golf year. Will this event come after the tournaments in Hawaii?

*- Annika Sorenstam is going to marry Mike McGee. Congratulations. If the wedding takes place in Florida, am I invited?(Sarcastic laughter time)

*- Lorena Ochoa, after winning the last three LPGA events, is not on top this week in Springfield Illinois. Could it have something to do with her taking this week off? Hmm.......

Linked to- Adam, Bullwinkle, Morewhat, Right Voices,

Nice

All passengers, including economy class, on new Singapore Airlines planes will have access to a PC.

San Francisco (IDGNS) - Flying in economy class doesn't have to be a miserable experience. To make flying more enjoyable for its passengers, Singapore Airlines is adding bigger screens, more in-flight movies, and a PC in every seat on its newest planes.

Unlike many U.S. airlines, the carrier doesn't view in-flight service as a cost center where cutbacks can be made to reduce losses or boost profits. Instead, Singapore Airlines' latest investments in cabin service are designed to help it stand out from the competition and attract more passengers.

KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines' in-flight entertainment system, is a main focus of these efforts, offering on-demand movies, television shows, games, and music to passengers. Now, the airline aims to raise the bar, rolling out a new version of KrisWorld that improves significantly on existing systems and hints at what passengers can expect to see on the Airbus A380 and The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, when these aircraft enter service.

*****

Unfortunately, since the demise of Boeing's Connexion service, Internet access hasn't been available on Singapore Airlines. But the carrier is looking for another way of providing Internet access, hoping to offer yet one more way to for passengers to spend all those hours in the sky.

Knowing SIA from my one experience flying the airline, it wouldn't surprise me if they did have internet access available one day. When it comes to customer service, Singapore Airlines has few peers. They treat customers like they are the most precious people on the face of the earth.

Now if American carriers could learn from this carrier. My experiences with Northwest and Continental have been very good, but if my cancer is back, I may be back to flying cross continental again for treatment. I am not looking forward to it.

Linked to- Morewhat, Stuck on Stupid, Webloggin,

Bankrupt

Another reason I'd never want to reside in Singapore.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's High Court has declared an opposition politician bankrupt, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Saturday, a ruling that could cripple the tiny Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

Chee Siok Chin -- sister of SDP leader Chee Soon Juan, and herself a senior member of the party -- was declared bankrupt together with two other party supporters after they failed to pay about S$24,000 ($15,700) in legal costs.

Under the city-state's law, she would be unable to run for parliament as a bankrupt, putting the SDP's future at risk.

Chee Siok Chin had incurred the costs after she challenged a move by police to disperse a peaceful protest calling for greater transparency in state institutions.

Public protests are rare in Singapore. Any public gathering of more than four people requires a police permit and a person convicted of unlawful assembly can be fined up to S$1,000.

Chee Siok Chin led a handful of SDP candidates in last year's general election. The party did not win any seats in parliament but did get 23 percent of the vote in the wards it contested.

Her brother, Chee Soon Juan -- the country's most vocal opposition politician -- was declared bankrupt in February after failing to make libel payments of S$500,000 to former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong.

Activists and critics such as human rights group Amnesty International say Singapore's leaders used defamation lawsuits to cripple opposition politicians.

Government leaders have also filed defamation law suits against foreign media, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review. They say such legal action is necessary to safeguard their reputations.

It isn't their reputations they want to preserve, but the power Singapore's leaders hold. They don't trust the people they rule. Call Singapore an elected dictatorship, there are obviously worse regimes in the world to live under. I've visited the country, its a beautiful place to see and populated by wonderful people. Singapore's citizens deserve a better government than they have today. I hope one day they get it.

Linked to- Blue Star, Church and State, Stop the ACLU, Woman Honor Thyself,

Shorter wait for Down's Syndrome results

This will shorten the time parents will have to wait before knowing if a baby has this birth defect.

SINGAPORE: Getting your foetus tested for Down's Syndrome will no longer be a three-week-long nerve-wracking wait, thanks to a new technique developed by a group of doctors from Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Unlike conventional methods, such as Karyotyping, which takes up to 21 days to diagnose, the new procedure called FlashFISH (Fluorescent in situ Hybridisation) requires a mere two-hour testing time.

Come the year's end, the National University Hospital (NUH) will be the first in the world to offer the novel technique, an "improved" version of the existing Standard FISH, whereby pregnant mothers have to wait for at least 24 to 48 hours for the results.

"Waiting for test results can cause a lot of anxiety in couples. Hence, we decided to develop an alternative technique that requires a shorter waiting time," said team-leader Professor Mahesh Choolani, a senior consultant with NUH's department of obstetrics and gynaecology. An estimated 1 in 30 tests turn out positive, he added.

While the tests do not pose visible risks, the initial process of drawing the amniotic fluid for laboratory tests does result in one miscarriage for every 200 cases.

I always thought Amnio results only took minutes. It did in this book, so it must be true. After all Tom Clancy thoroughly researches everything he writes. NOT!

Waiting for important test results is always nerve wracking. As a cancer survivor myself, I'm well acquainted with the experience.

The testing will first become available in Singapore, and with time I hope will become used world wide. Still the danger persists for mothers who have these tests done.(From the article above, the Flash Fish test, sounds just like a amniocenteis.) There is a risk the test can cause a miscarriage. That's why I strongly feel, a mother should consider that risk before having the procedure done. Unless a Mom feels a strong need to know if the child has Downs or wishes to abort if the result if the result is positive, she should skip the test IMHO. I expressed these feelings in an earlier blog post, and how it related to my wife and I when she was pregnant with Daniel. We felt the risk of losing our child wasn't worth having the amnio done. My wife's doctor respected that decision, and wasn't pushy about having the test done.

Bottom line- The shortened waiting time is great news but mothers should make the final decision whether to have the test or not and not feel pressured to do so by healthcare providers.

Linked to- Adam, Perri Nelson, Right Wing Nation, Woman Honor Thyself,

Malacca Pirates

No we're not talking about a professional sports team but this news.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Armed pirates attacked a Malaysian barge in the Malacca Strait and kidnapped two Indonesian crew, in the first high sea abduction in the busy waterway in more than two years, a global maritime watchdog said Tuesday.

The incident late Monday marked the third pirate attack in the strait this year, but the first since July 2005 in which ship crew were kidnapped, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

The barge was carrying steel billets from Malaysia's northern state of Penang to Belawan in Indonesia when it was raided by some 10 gun-toting pirates, Choong said.

They destroyed all communication equipment on board before fleeing with the ship master and chief engineer, both Indonesian, he said. Another six Indonesian crew were unharmed, he said, adding that the vessel is now in Belawan for investigation.

The strait is notorious for robberies and hijackings, but the number of attacks has fallen since Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, which share the waterway, launched coordinated maritime and air patrols in recent years to curb piracy.

Some 65,000 vessels pass through the Malacca Strait each year, carrying half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce.

The Malacca Straits is one of the most travelled and most visited shipping channels in the world. Approximately twenty to twenty-five percent of the world's sea trade pass through these waters.

Pirates are a perennial nuisance in that part of the world. They can still be found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines. When all is said and done, pirates pose nothing but a local threat.

The greatest in these straits would be a terrorist. The sinking or venting of a large oil tanker, could have catastrophic consequences.(The waters are as shallow as 25m) Some people dismiss the threat, terrorists like Bin Laden prefer dramatic targets. How about a strike lets say close to Singapore? Singapore has a population of over 4.5 million people, and has a very busy port. A terrrorist attack near there would be certain to gain the dramatic television coverage many terrorists seek along with death and destruction.

Bottom line- Terrorists can attack anywhere, that's why a defensive strategy is unlikely ever to work. There are just many vulnerable spots in the world.

Linked to- Adam, Amboy Times, Big Dog, Outside the Beltway, Pirate's Cove,