NEW YORK – A historic U.S. Coast Guard Cutter that helped to save more than half a million people from the terror attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 could now go to a country, which openly supports Islamic terrorism.
The Coast Guard Cutter Adak, which led federal maritime rescue efforts on 9/11 and spent nearly two decades fighting in the global war on terror, was slated to be decommissioned and sold to Indonesia by the U.S. government, until eight bi-partisan members of Congress sent letters to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expressing concerns and asking to stop the sale nearly a month ago.
Since then, the leaders at the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security have refused to answer congressional inquiries and appear to be pressing forward with the sale.
“I don’t know what’s more troubling, the fact that the administration won’t answer our elected representatives, or the fact that the administration is advocating for giving a historic ship like the Adak to a country, which openly supports a designated terror organization and their attacks on civilians,” said James Judge, the founder and executive director of the USCGC Adak Historical Society, and a former crewmember of the Adak from 2004-2005.
For years, Indonesia has supported Hamas, the elected government of the Palestinians. Hamas is a designated terror organization by the U.S., U.K., European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan and others.
On May 10, Hamas began targeting Israeli civilians with rocket attacks in Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem. Since then, attacks against Israeli civilians have continued in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel. Israel is a key-U.S. ally in the middle east.
This past Wednesday, Indonesia openly supported the attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians and pledged to continue to support the terrorist organization.
“Indonesia will continue to work with the Palestinian people and nation in fighting for their rights,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said during a press conference.
Since last Monday, Hamas has launched more than 3,350 rockets at Israel, actions which Germany has labeled as “terror attacks” against civilians.
“These are terrorist attacks that have only one goal: to kill people indiscriminately and arbitrarily and to spread fear,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, protests against the U.S. and Israel have erupted outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (May 18, 2021)- On Tuesday, protests erupted outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia for the U.S.’s support of Israel, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. The U.S. has supported Israel’s decision to retaliate against more than 3,350 rocket attacks committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians. Last Wednesday, Indonesia publicly offered their support for the Palestinian people and the attacks by Hamas, an internationally recognized terror organization. According the U.S. Department of State, Indonesia is currently the favored country to receive the Coast Guard Cutter Adak from the U.S. government.
Anti-American protests are somewhat common in Indonesia, and in past years have featured the burning of American flags, signs that read “Down Down USA,” and marches to mark support for the attacks on the U.S. on anniversaries of 9/11.
“I think it’s outrageous that the administration is going out of their way to arm a country that supports terrorism in any way,” said Judge. “Time and time again, the Indonesian people and their government have expressed anti-American sentiment and support for radical Islamic terrorism.”
In addition to the letters from congressional representatives, the USCGC Adak Historical Society launched a Change.org petition asking the Biden administration to stop the sale, which has garnered more than 11,000 signatures.
The USCGC Adak Historical Society is a non-profit organization, which has been working to bring the Coast Guard Cutter Adak back to the U.S. for more than a year to turn the ship into a museum, 9/11 memorial and a platform for youth to learn leadership qualities and team building in the Tampa Bay area.
According to the non-profit, they had been in contact with the Coast Guard and had been working with Congress for nearly a year. A bill called the Cutter Conveyance Improvement Act of 2021 had been drafted and had a sponsor for the bill, which would have given possession of the historic ship to the foundation.
In April, the Coast Guard notified the U.S. Department of State of their preference to dispose of the cutter by selling it to a foreign country, instead. Rather than having to pay to for costs to transport the ship back or dock fees while the ship was waiting to be transferred, the Coast Guard opted for the less-expensive route of giving it to a foreign country. According to the formal notification process to Congress, the Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of State identified the Republic of Indonesia as the prospective recipient.
To read the letters submitted by the lawmakers, click here and here.
To learn more about the Coast Guard Cutter Adak and the effort to save the ship, visit savetheadak.com
The USCGC Adak Historical Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving U.S. Coast Guard and armed forces history.
For news-media requests and media-related inquiries please contact 727.306.ADAK or email info@uscgcadak.com.