US security concerns are generally monopolized by air traffic but some experts are not pleased with the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement it will miss next month’s deadline to comply with a comprehensive federal law to prevent terrorist attacks arriving by sea.
"There is concern that dangerous cargo can enter the country through various ports," writes Travel Industry Today.
Terror experts say only a surprisingly small fraction of metal cargo containers are scanned before arriving at US ports.
Advocates for tighter port security say all maritime cargo needs to be scanned or manually inspected to prevent terrorists from using ships bound for the US to deliver a nuclear bomb.
Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts accuses the agency of not making a good-faith effort to comply with a 2007 law he coauthored requiring scanning of all US-bound maritime shipments.
"We’re not just missing the boat, we could be missing the bomb,’’ said US Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts.
"The reality is that detonating a nuclear bomb in the United States is at the very top of Al Qaeda’s terrorist targets.’’
Only about 5 % of all cargo containers headed to the US are screened, according to the government’s own estimate, with some shipments getting only a cursory paperwork review.
A Homeland Security spokesman said, however, the agency "has concluded that 100% scanning of incoming maritime cargo is neither the most efficient nor cost-effective approach to securing our global supply chain.’’
By David Wilkening
