COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 20, SPA -- Nine countries have launched agroup to help fight terrorism and criminal activity in theIndian Ocean region by improving port and maritime safety,the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday. U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East said in a statementthat Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and hisministers inaugurated the South Asia Regional Port SecurityCooperative, or SARPSCO, at a four-day meeting that beganMonday. «If crimes such as illegal fishing, human smuggling andthe transportation of illegal cargoes and drugs cannot becollectively combated, then neither can terrorism andpiracy,» the statement quoted U.S. Coast Guard RearAdmiral Craig E. Bone as telling the conference. Establishing the group sends a clear message «toterrorists and criminals in the South Asia and Indian Oceanregion that they will be detected, they will be interdictedand their activities will not be tolerated,» Bone was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Madagascar, Maldives,Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are represented inthe grouping. The U.S does not belong and will onlyfunction as the «facilitating country,» according tospokesman Scott Stoermer.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/557599