Commentary To quote the U.S. Navy’s official announcement, on May 6 the cruiser USS Monterey “seized an illicit shipment of weapons from a stateless dhow in international waters of the North Arabian Sea.” The list of weaponry aboard the dhow included advanced Russian-made anti-tank missiles, around 3,000 Chinese assault rifles, several hundred light machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launchers, and “advanced optical sights.” On a battlefield, those weapons set could arm a light infantry brigade of 4,000 soldiers—or guerrilla fighters. “Stateless” is diplo-speak indicating the dhow had no flag or other sign of national origin. It suggests the dhow’s crew had no valid cargo papers to show the U.S. Coast Guard Advanced Interdiction Team inspecting their vessel. When USN warships enter sea lanes plied by smugglers and pirates, they often have a Coast Guard team aboard with legal authority to address transnational criminal operations. Smugglers prowl the north …