The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence said on its website that ships in the Red Sea, the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait between Yemen and Djibouti, and the Gulf of Aden along Yemen's coast were at the greatest risk.
"Information suggests that al Qaeda remains interested in maritime attacks in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen," the office said in a statement, citing an advisory by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
"Although it is unclear how they would proceed, it may be similar in nature to the attacks against the USS Cole in October 2000 and the M/V Limburg in October 2002 where a small to mid-size boat laden with explosives was detonated," it added.
Adding to our joy at this development is the ability of the terrorists to operate among the many pirates who sail the area.
There is no will to go ashore in Somalia to raze the pirate bases and put a little fear of God into the pirates, but if we'd at least up our recent slightly more aggressive stance to one of shooting pirates on sight, sea-going terrorists would be lonelier and less likely to get lost in the shuffle.
Piracy isn't just a matter of insurance rates. It is a matter of life and death.
