Chapter 2 Maritime and Port Security Flashcards
If a WMD were to be detonated at a major US port, what are some consequences that we could expect?
- substantial loss of life
- immediate closure of all ports
- week/month long search for more bombs (if any)
- gradual reopening of ports
- worldwide back up of goods and materials due to opening and closing ports
- a global recession and a severely damaged economy
9/11 has caused…
moe concern through the us of global supply chain for WMD’s
Which countries are most affected by 9/11 and trade?
- US (of course)
- major trade partners (china, canada)
- 1st world countries more affected than 3rd world countries
What percentage of cargo is moved by containers?
90%
At any moment, how many containers are in use?
100 million
How many containers arrive annually in the US?
9 million, 30K daily “needle in a haystack” saying
Explain the concept of “Black Swans”
- banks merging into a smaller number of very large banks
- so when one fails, they all fail
- when a crisis happens, it will be more global in scale and will hit hard
How would you and I be affected today if ports were shut down around the world?
- good would become scarce
- hurt our economy/finances
- price of goods would go up
- unemployment
- craziness
What could be the outcomes of a fictitious nuclear explosion at Port of Long Beach?
- 60k people die instantly
- 150k people exposed to radioactive water or sediment
- destroy all infrastructure and ships
- 6 million people might need relocation
- gas supplies run short
How much gas does Long Beach provide?
-refineries supply 1/3 of gas west of the Rockies
Statistics of US land ports
- 163
- $2bil/day crosses
- 350,000 vehicles
- 135,000 pedestrians
- 30,000 trucks
Which port is the largest in the south
Laredo
- 6th largest gateway (including air)
- 14% of total US land trade crosses
Why is the Laredo port more of a concern than a northern border?
- cartels
- more entry ways further south than Mexico
- ties with drug cartels in Mexico with the Middle East (huge problem)
If detection of WMD, why would exports also be closed?
-other countries wouldn’t want us to export anything to them cause they would be afraid we have something in the cargo
WMD concerns on outbound containers
- someone framing the us from inside
- could be going to another port in the US
- might be easier to disguise a WMD on outbound, because security pays more attention to the inbound things
What are the three initiatives from the Defense Business Council?
- Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)
- Container Security Initiative (CSI)
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
What 4 programs does the Govt. rely on?
- Scanning
- RFID
- Container seals
- Content of in-bound shipments
What is a weakness of the C-TPAT?
-terrorists prob not participating since its voluntary
What is a weakness of the CSI?
- 24 hour manifest
- carrier inputs what the shipper “says” are the contents
- but is that accurate
What would need to be done in order to improve the CSI?
- use Container security devices (CSD) that would identify person who inspected and verified contents at sealing
- basically, take the burden of proof and put it on the importers so that they have to go back and find out what was actually put in the container
Transportation Worker Identification Credential program (TWIC)
-DHS was required to issue a work ID card that uses biometrics to control access to secure areas of ports or ships
What are some of the errors in the TWIC system?
- not readers installed everywhere, so doesn’t work as good as they thought (people can easily replicate the cards to look the same)
- require two trips to get
- a lot of waiting time (4-6 weeks)
- 10 states do not have TWIC offices
Scanning and the SAFE Port Act
- congress legislated that 100% of containers be scanned
- containers loaded at a foreign port shall not enter the US unless it has been scanned before being loaded on vessel
- US can not mandate other countries to do this
Scanning Problems
- terrorists are more likely to use highly enriched uranium
- terrorists can circumvent fixed detectors
- R&D cannot change the physics of detection
- short distance
- adequate amount of time to detect
