M. Star incident is a terrorist attack – expert

06.08.2010 Responsibility for the incident happened to Japanese supertanker M. Star on July 28 in the Strait of Hormuz was claimed by Al-Qaeda-led terrorist group Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, Mikhail Voitenko, editor–in-chief of Maritime Bulletin said to the Central Navy Portal.

According to him, on Aug 4 it was a post on a jihad-oriented website that the tanker was attacked by undisclosed suicide bomber. Members of the terrorist group suppose that attempts of Saudi Arabian authorities and NATO military experts to conceal the true cause of the tanker damages are connected with fear of panic, although oil price has already reacted on that terrorist act. Strategic goal of the group is to wreck world economy and to provoke chaos. Numerous Islamite groups bear the name of Abdullah Azzam.

Mikhail Voitenko comments

Appearance of the tanker damages look like nothing but external explosion. Versions of killer-wave or onboard explosion are frivolous. If the tanker was really attacked, that is hardly pleasant news. Although the military deployed in the region will be most likely capable to provide safe navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, it looks too dangerous to sail over there – terrorists within the Gulf and pirates outside it. Of course, there is an assumption that the group purposely took responsibility with a view to become notorious, but on the other hand, terrorists have repeatedly launched treats against shipment in the Strait of Hormuz. As the phrase goes, "ask for trouble".

I am anxious to hear any loaded words from the Russian military, even if their appraisal is based only on those few pictures and poor accident history. Speaking of the effects on world economy, terrorist acts in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are more horrible than all Somali pirates.