Saturday, February 18, 2006
Port Of Seattle: Real terror threats
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARDThere's been a flurry of bipartisan concern about a Middle Eastern firm's purchase of a company that controls terminals in six U.S. ports. If only members of both parties could get together on more substantive ways to protect port cities from terrorist threats.
It's ironic that the outcry developed just after President Bush released a budget request that seeks to eliminate federal grants to improve cargo security at Seattle and other vulnerable ports. Congress rejected that bad idea last year, but Bush might pull it off now with deficits mounting.
In a perfect world, members of Congress might well want to look closely at whether Dubai Port World should control terminals at six Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. But 4 1/2 years after the 9/11 attacks, the supposed danger is almost a distraction from the real work. Congress has done little to advance agreement on better security plans for ports, decide how to reopen ports if an attack occurs or spend more than a fraction of what's needed to reduce threats from conventional, biological or nuclear attacks using cargo.
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Blog Tags: Antiterrorism, Counterterrorism, Force Protection, Homeland Security, Maritime Security, Port Security
1 Comments:
Thanks for this - I've linked to you. I missed this Saturday.
By
Kathy, at Monday, February 20, 2006 11:48:00 PM
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