ON 12 October 2000, the destroyer USS Cole hove into port at Aden in Yemen for routine refuelling. As the vessel took on fuel oil, a small boat drew alongside it. Suicide bombers inside the boat detonated a cache of explosives, blasting a 20-metre hole in the destroyer’s hull and killing 17 of its crew.
The attack was a stark reminder of the risks the crews of naval ships face when they are forced to put in at potentially unfriendly ports.
Now some members of Congress believe they have a way to keep ships out of harm’s way and prevent…
