Question:
Topic: Contemporary Issues in Port Security
We have reviewed some of the key legislation for U.S. Port Security, the relevance of the Department of Homelands Security in regards to consolidated authority and activities, and considered the risks associated with asymmetric threats. As we consider the evaluation of the maritime security environment post 9/11, threats can be categorized into four vectors: Piracy, Terrorism, Insurgency, and Organized Crime. In your opinion, (References not required) what vector is most likely to pose the greatest threat to our economic and national security and how can that threat be mitigated?
Answer:
Title: Contemporary Issues in Port Security
In the post-9/11 era, the maritime security environment has been characterized by four threats that may be categorized into four main vectors, namely terrorism, piracy, organized crime and insurgency. In my view, of these four vectors, terrorism is likely to pose the greatest threat to the country’s economic and national security.
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In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a lot of focus in matters of security has turned to the US ports and waterways and their vulnerability to massive terrorist attacks. I am of the view that that the US ports are highly vulnerable to terrorism because of their large size, the tremendous cargo volume that they handle regularly, and ease of accessibility by land and water.
In my view, the efforts that the US administration has put in place so far are not sufficient to significantly reduce this threat. There are two main ways through which the administration can address this problem. First, the United States Coast Guard, which is the principal authority in the country’s maritime law enforcement, ought to go beyond performing this enforcement role by putting in place measures for measuring the risk posed by various forms of terrorist threats. Examples of these threats include improvised explosive devices, bomb-laden trucks, aquatic mines, and hijacked vessels that are later on used as weapons[1]. The Coast Guard should analyze this information to determine which ports to prioritize on as well as which measures to put in place to reduce the risk.
Secondly, the US administration needs to put in place clear guidelines for fast response to terrorist threats as soon as they are identified. For a long time, the unending debate on port security funding has derailed efforts by various agencies to respond fast enough to serious terrorism-related threats. When these guidelines are put in place, it will be easy for liaison between federal and state governments to be achieved, particularly in ensuring the security of ships and the cargo from the point of origin to entry into the US.
References
Frittelli,
John F. Maritime Security: Overview of
Issues, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008.
[1] John F. Frittelli, Maritime Security: Overview of Issues, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008), 12.