$20 mln coast-watching system to protect Yemeni coastline:

SANA'A, Jan. 09 (Saba) - It is expected that a $ 20 million
coast-watching system called V.T.S will be in service by the end of
2009, the Chief of the Yemeni Coastguard Authority Ali Rase'a told
Saba on Friday.

The system contains radars with surveillance cameras to be installed
in the seaports and the centers established in Aden Gulf sector. The
system will play an effective role in combating piracy in the
region, Rase'a said.

He added that the centers of Sana'a and Aden would be also in
service in February, pointing out that the government has given
directions to provide 10 boats for Aden Gulf sector, and then the
system will be completed to cover the 500 km in Gulf of Aden,
according to Rase'a.

Yemen has a large coastline of 2500 km expanding from Oman's borders
in the East to the borders of Saudi Arabia Kingdom in the West and
overlooks on the major maritime passage of international trading,
Bab al-Mandab.

Despite this length which could consider as a marine worth and
advantage for Yemen, it represents an extra burden on the shoulder
of the government due to the lack of Yemeni potentials to benefit
from it.

Most of risks that threaten Yemen come from the sea, such as
smuggled goods, abusive medicines, drugs, illegal migration,
terrorist acts and piracy.

The Yemeni Coastguards Authority was established in 2002 for
protecting the country's territorial water from illegal and
terrorist activities after the terrorist attacks on the USS Cole
destroyer and French oil tanker (Lemberg). In 2008, Aden Gulf has
witnessed increasing piracy acts threatening Bab al-Mandab passage
and international trading routes.