Port Security: Nation Faces Formidable Challenges in Making New Initiatives Successful

摘要

Seaports are critical gateways for the movement of international commerce. More than 95 percent of our non-North American foreign trade (and 100 percent of certain commodities, such as foreign oil, on which we are heavily dependent) arrives by ship. In 2001, approximately 5,400 ships carrying multinational crews and cargoes from around the globe made more than 30,000 U. S. port calls each year. More than (3 million containers (suitable for truck- trailers)) enter the country annually. Particularly with 'just-in-time' deliveries of goods, the expeditions flow of commerce through these ports is so essential that the Coast Guard Commandant stated after September 11, even slowing the flow long enough to inspect either all or a statistically significant random selection of imports would be economically intolerable. This tremendous flow of goods creates many kinds of vulnerability. Drugs and illegal aliens are routinely smuggled into this country, not only in small boats but also hidden among otherwise legitimate cargoes on large commercial ships. These same pathways are available for exploitation by a terrorist organization or any nation or person wishing to attack us surreptitiously. Protecting against these vulnerabilities is made more difficult by the tremendous variety of U.S. ports. Some are multibillion-dollar enterprises, while others have very limited facilities and very little traffic. Cargo operations are similarly varied, including containers, liquid bulk (such as petroleum), dry bulk (such as grain), and iron ore or steel.