To thwart nuclear terror, US directs trade partners to inspect 11 million cargo containers

WASHINGTON: The specter of a nuclear bomb, hidden in a cargo container, detonating in an American port has prompted Congress to require 100 percent screening of U.S.-bound ships at their more than 600 foreign starting points.

The Bush administration and shippers maintain the technology for scanning 11 million containers each year does not exist and say the requirement could disrupt trade. Current procedures including manifest inspections at foreign ports and radiation monitoring in U.S. ports are working well, they contend.

Nonetheless, President George W. Bush signed the measure into law this month and praised its transfer of domestic money to states and cities at higher risk of terrorism attack. He said he will work with lawmakers to ensure the cargo screening provisions do not impede commerce.

Scanning containers at their points of origin is a highlight of that law, intended to fulfill recommendations of the commission that investigated government activities before and after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The commission said the shift would safeguard the United States from terrorists.

"If a terrorist manages to conceal a weapon of mass destruction in a shipping container, it must be discovered long before that container reaches our shore," Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, said in support of the measure.

Rep. Edward Markey, another Democrat and a chief proponent of the legislation, said costs and complexity involved in the new system would pale beside the devastating effect of a nuclear attack launched from a big city port. "The truth is, we cannot afford not to do it," Markey said.

The law sets a five-year deadline for having the system in place but, recognizing the technology still might not be available, gives the Homeland Security secretary the authority to extend the deadline by two-year increments.

So, they shift $Billions under the guise of developing a system for the next five years. Then, after 5 years, they appropriate more funds to continue studying and developing.

What have they done will all the $Billions appropriated for Homeland Security since 9-11-01?

This is nothing more than another boondoggle method of shifting $Billions of taxpapers' funds to private concerns -- under the guise of Homeland Security.

“This is nothing more than another boondoggle method of shifting $Billions of taxpapers’ funds to private concerns — under the guise of Homeland Security.”

Agreed, It’s BS. Totally “Showtime” on the part of the Dems, with a President that really cannot be against it or seem out of touch. Dem Politicians politicking.

In the 35 years I was involved in Containershipping I’ve seen much happen. I was there at the beginning in the late sixties, after Sealand started and just at the time the Japanese Consortium began operating after huge investments.

Todays massive Container Ships are pretty much operated by a few Nations. Their investments are Ships and equipment such as Containers and chassis unless those operators also are involved in Terminal Operations, then of course other equipment and facilities, but that isn’t the point.

The point is that these operators know their shippers. They know what goes into those containers at the point of shipment. They have safeguards in place as let’s all face facts, they have investments they don’t want blown out of the water, much less do they want legal difficulties with International ramifications, nor do they want Political Hacks using them and their industry to stoke their personal flames of glory, as Political Hacks always manage to increase the costs of doing business.

Let’s also not forget the Maritime Insurers whom have rules for inspections in place to cover potential losses as well.

As I’ve promoted before there are Vessels that can be chartered from dubious sorts out there that will haul Containers for special shipments as well there are bulk vessels, auto carriers, liquid specialty products carriers, Hell the list goes on of other than Container Ships that could potentially blow up entire harbors.

This is Democrat feel good law which although expresses new technology must be invented whenever, must rely on a system that is, and has been already in place for many years.

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