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| Proposal: Platforms at Sea Would Scan Ships and Containers |
| 2005-08-02 |
| Giant floating platforms use scanners and X-ray machines to probe rows of cargo containers while still miles away from port. Crane-topped ships perform surgical extractions of suspect containers on the pitching sea. A ring of computer-filled buoys beeps approval to ports around the country. This isn't the plot of an upcoming science fiction movie. This is the big-budget idea from a group of local [Florida] entrepreneurs who want to prevent a terrorist from getting biological agents, explosives or a suitcase-sized "tactical nuke" into our ports. The system would cost a total of $2.1 billion or more to install at ports nationwide. Officials at Titusville-based SeaAway Habitat Technologies have been shopping their idea to bigwigs in homeland security, as well as executives at big container ports like Jacksonville and Miami. Not everyone, however, agrees with SeaAway's approach. Some competitors in the port-security business say it would be cheaper and just as safe to train special inspectors to find problems, have them staff foreign ports and sign off on American-bound goods before a ship ever sets sail. Still, security gurus agree something needs to be done. Analyses since the 9-11 terrorist attacks have shown only 4 percent of cargo containers ever get fully checked... Actually, it's closer to 7 percent - still low. Not included in this is a profiling process to find possible problem containers. Whoever is right, the government likely will "jump on anything that will be an improvement" over current port-security measures, said Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Ray Sharkey. "Security is always on my mind. The biggest problem is there are so many areas you are vulnerable to. You can't guarantee there won't be a problem unless you build a magic dome." |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #3 What they should do is have certain trusted companies inspect and seal and guarantee certain ships are safe before they leave port. Those ships get priority in the destination port, all others can wait. Then have the feds randomly check the ships, if anything is out of order the trusted company may lose the trusted status. All other shipping can be checked more thoroughly. I think you'd find every major shipper doing whatever they could to play ball and avoid the inspections by keeping their ships clean so the number that had to be checked thoroughly would be rather small. Of course Ralph Nader will probably complain that the smaller companies cannot afford this and that but they can alway ship to Canada if they don't like the system and Ralph, those smaller boats are dumping diesel into the harbor, the poluting rotters, get 'em! |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-08-02 10:10 |
| #2 An old idea but still a goodie - the real prob is that US GMD/TMD still needs internal "layered defense" to protect from short-range missles whether enemy nation or terrorist, which for me is why Dubya, Rummy and even FOXNEWS, etal. are focusing on these "missing blondes/babes" stories. *INVADE ARUBA-CUBA NOW, D *** YOU - DEM DAR BEACHES, COCONUT BEERS, AND BEACH BABES, ETC. MUST BE SAVED BY THE USMC, SSSHHHHHHHHHHH, FOR GMD! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA... - SO MANY MARRIOTS, SO MANY TERRORISTS!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2005-08-02 02:52 |
| #1 I think this is further evidence that a lot of terrorist prevention efforts have to be taken up at more than just the federal level (statre & local) - the greater the threat from X, Y or Z for a given state / locality, just react and adapt to it. Worry about financial repercussions later. |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-08-02 01:07 |