Not a joke.  Someone associated with Abu Sayef did basic open water
training at a place where I've done some diving.  (It was not in the
US, and it happened a couple of years ago, just after the World Trade
Center bombing.)  The authorities - I won't say whom, nor identify the
place - came to them a year later, asked for copies of all records and
so forth regarding this individual.  Of course there was full
cooperation.

The joke around the bar later was that they should have guessed when he
said he didn't want to waste time learning about ascents, only needed
to be able to go down.  But it's really no joke.

One obvious concern would be acts against shipping, including but not
limited to passenger liners.

 I worked in the engine room one summer on a Victory Ship delivering
beer, potato chips and other goodies to Vietnam back in the 1967, not
that long before the Tet Offensive.  While we were moored at the outer
harbour in Danang, US and RVN soldiers were on the pier all day and
night, and a few times they would fire a few rounds or toss a grenade
into the water next to our ship, presumably to stun any Viet Cong
divers who might be trying to attach a mine to our ship.  A bit
unnerving, particularly as we were sleeping back on the fantail and
this would wake us up. It was summer in Vietnam, and there was no air
conditioning on the S.S. Alfred Victory, conditons in the foc'sle's
were almost as intolerable as the engine room.

Robert Delfs

On Fri, 24 May 2002 15:06:11 -0700, David Hale wrote:

>http://webcenter.newssearch.netscape.com/aolns_display.adp?key=200205241323000216355_aolns.src
>
>Scuba diving terrorists? Words fail.
>
>David H.
>
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience
>http://launch.yahoo.com


Robert Delfs
Reply to:  <[log in to unmask]>
Tel:    +852 2812-6290
Fax:   +852 2812-6970