He has described the detonation of a nuclear explosive device in a cargo container in one of our ports as a nightmare scenario for our country. Steven Flynn. a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former officer in the Coast Guard. wrote in his book America the Vulnerable about "catastrophic consequences of terror in a box" delivered by a cargo ship to one of our ports. [Page 84]. To balance the need to participate in the global economy and the security concerns associated with the millions of cargo containers entering our ports every year. the Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Security division developed the CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT). Under CTPAT. shippers commit to improving the security of their cargo shipments. and in return. they receive a range of benefits from our government. Specifically. it shippers provide information about their operations to Customs and Border Protection. their goods are less likely to be inspected at the border. They basically receive an "EZ Pass" from our government. sort of like drivers who speed right through toll booths without having to stop. The problem is that Customs and Border Protection grants these special benefits without verifying that the security information provided by the shippersis reliable. accurate and effective. According to the GAO. Customs and Border Protection has conducted validations at the facilities of only 11 percent of all the CTPAT members. ["Key Cargo Security Programs Can be Improved." May 26. 2005) Basically. the CTPAT program really is a "STAND PAT" program. It takes a complacent posture towards port security by giving companies the benefit of speedy approval at the border without checking to make sure that promised security measures actually are in place at their facilities. Customs and Border Program also has a related program. called "FAST". which stands for Free and Secure Trade program.
Keywords matched
Border Protection Border Security