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Experts Question U.S. Port Security
Only about 5 to 7 percent of all cargo shipped through U.S. seaports is ever checked by security, ABC’s “World News Tonight” reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 31, 2005). On two occasions ABC News was able to ship depleted uranium through U.S. ports. The material has the same radiation signature as weapon-grade uranium, according to ABC News. While the United States has spent $18 billion improving aviation security since Sept. 11, 2001, only some $560 million has been spent to secure seaports, according to one congressional study. U.S. officials said they have deployed WMD sensors and increased the number of targeted spot checks at ports, according to ABC News. Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley said ports need still more surveillance cameras and other technology. “I think it’s appalling that the wealthiest nation on the planet would invest so little in port security,” O’Malley said. Some security analysts, however, question whether spending more money on port security measures would have much effect. “The best investment we can make for preventing a mushroom cloud over an American city is to prevent the terrorists from getting their hands on the nuclear material first,” said Randall Larsen of the Institute for Homeland Security (Pierre Thomas, ABC “World News Tonight,” Feb. 20).
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