21st Century Essential Guide to Port Security, Container Inspections, Terrorism and Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Customs, Maritime Administration, Reports (CD-ROM)

This unique electronic book on CD-ROM has an amazing collection of the finest federal documents and resources about port security in America – including details on container inspections, terrorism prevention, and homeland security, with material from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Patrol, Maritime Administration, White House, and much more. There are reproductions of relevant GAO reports and Congressional committee documents. In addtion, there is material on the controversy surrounding the sale of port operations to DP World, involving Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Measures required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act add additional security protections to every port in the United States. Port and vessel protection continues to remain one of the Department of Homeland Security’s highest priorities. The oceans and ports of the world are vital to the economic livelihood of the United States and countries throughout the world. Over 95 percent of the nation’s overseas cargo moves through our ports. There are 76 million recreational boaters in the United States and they spent over $30.3 billion on boats and accessories in 2003. Worldwide, 5.8 billion tons of goods were traded by sea in 2001. This accounts for over 80 percent of world trade by volume. Over 318 billion gallons of petroleum products are shipped in vessels on U.S. waterways in a year. Cruise Ships calling at U.S. ports carry over 6 million passengers per year. Security Assessments and Plans: Port facilities and vessels across the nation were required to submit a security assessment and a security plan to the United States Coast Guard, now part of the Department of Homeland Security. The submitted security assessments identified the aspects of each port facility and vessel that were deemed security vulnerabilities. The accompanying security plan outlined specific measures that would be taken by each port to address those vulnerabilities. Some 9500 vessels and 3500 facilities submitted both a security assessment and a security plan. In addition, the Coast Guard, examined the vulnerabilities of the port complexes as a whole and, working in conjunction with the local stakeholders, developed security plans that detail how the combined resources of an area will be used to deter, prevent and respond to terror threats. The Coast Guard analyzed each plan to ensure that it sufficiently and consistently addressed the security needs of the individual facility, port and vessel. Some of the specific security measures currently being implemented include increased identification checks on crew members and visitors to the ports; additional canine detection teams; expanded baggage and passenger screening efforts; strategically placed perimeter fencing equipped with newly installed surveillance cameras; targeted restricted access to sensitive areas of the port; x-ray machines on all large cruise ships; additional employee training procedures; increased security patrols; and implementation of a robust certification program to ensure foreign flagged vessels docking in U.S. ports have met the international security requirements, which the United States originally proposed to the international community in November 2001. Continued Improvement: The U.S Coast Guard will conduct assessments of the nation’s ports to determine which vulnerabilities still exists and where. These assessments consist of teams of analysts who craft! possible terrorist plots against specific targets and then analyze how such targets would fare under those circumstances. Additional training and port security related exercises will also be part of ongoing port security effort. The U.S. Coast Guard has also implemented a verification program to ensure that all ports and vessels maintain their security measures.