Congress should urge shippers to invest in security: PentagonA senior Pentagon official on Tuesday urged Congress to create incentives such as tax breaks to encourage shipping companies to invest in their own security against pirate attacks. In the first quarter of 2009, 102 piracy incidents were reported to the International Maritime Bureau The International Maritime Bureau is a specialised bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce. The IMB's responsibilities lie in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and in protecting the crews of , nearly double the number during the same period in 2008, said Under Secretary of Defense for Policy The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy is the title of a high-level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff assistant and advisor to both the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Michelle Flournoy. "It may be useful for Congress to consider developing incentives to encourage merchant shipping to invest in security measures Noun 1. security measures - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising" security ," said Flournoy, speaking at a Senate Armed Services Committee The term Armed Services Committee could refer to:
The incentives could include "tax credits to reduced insurance rates for ships with enhanced security," said Flournoy, adding: "Ultimately, it may be appropriate to mandate some of these actions." Many people in the merchant shipping industry "continue to assume unrealistically that military forces will always be present to intervene if pirates attack," said Flournoy. "As a result, many have so far been unwilling to invest adequately in basic security measures that would render their ships far less vulnerable," she said. The most effective short-term response to piracy "will be working with merchant shipping lines to ensure that the vessels in the region take appropriate security measures," said Flournoy. She discussed passive defense measures -- including keeping good communications with maritime security authorities, varying routes, removing external ladders, and posting lookouts -- as well as active defense measures, which range "from rigging rigging, the wires, ropes, and chains employed to support and operate the masts, yards, booms, and sails of a vessel. Standing rigging is semipermanent, consisting mainly of mast supports, the fore-and-aft stays, and the stays running from the masthead to each side fire hoses to repel re·pel v. re·pelled, re·pel·ling, re·pels v.tr. 1. To ward off or keep away; drive back: repel insects. 2. pirates, to maintaining professional civilian armed security teams on board." The US military "will continue to respond when US-flag vessels and US citizens are attacked by pirates," Flourony said. "But when ships have effective onboard security measures in place, the vast majority of attempted pirate attacks can be thwarted without any need for military intervention The deliberate act of a nation or a group of nations to introduce its military forces into the course of an existing controversy. ," she said. 
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