6 June 2002
Source:
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=02060505.clt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
US Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
_________________________________
05 June 2002
(Bill would require international cooperation) (800) By Andrzej Zwaniecki Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would extend the U.S. seaport security perimeter beyond U.S. borders and bring maritime antiterrorism measures up to the level of security introduced in U.S. civil aviation after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Maritime Transportation Antiterrorism Act, approved June 4 by voice vote, would require the Transportation Department to conduct security assessment of ports in other countries and give the U.S. Coast Guard right to deny entry to any ship that does not meet security standards or arrives from a port lacking adequate antiterrorism procedures. Under the measure, ocean carriers or shippers would have to provide detailed information on cargo destined for the United States, including the content and place of origin, at least 24 hours before loading at a foreign port. The administration has been working with several countries to allow U.S. customs agents to inspect container cargo in the 10 busiest ports where the bulk of U.S.-bound cargo originates. The U.S. Customs Service announced June 4 that Singapore joined three Canadian ports that signed on to the initiative earlier. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, some congressmen expressed concerns that ships loaded with inflammable liquids could be turned by terrorists into weapons of mass destruction the way commercial airliners were used to destroy the World Trade Center and damage the Pentagon. Some nuclear plants and refineries are located close to ports or waterways. "A port is a likely target, and we have to accept that fact," said Representative Don Young, Republican chairman of the House Transportation Committee. The legislation derives from antiterrorism provisions of the aviation security act passed by Congress in November and from procedures used by airlines even before September 11. It would aim to give U.S border agencies more information, time and authority to prevent terrorists from attacking the maritime transportation system or using it to inflict damage on U.S. cities or businesses. It would require all vessels coming from other countries to notify the U.S. Coast Guard at least 96 hours before entering U.S. territorial waters and extend Guard jurisdiction from three to 12 miles off the U.S. coasts. It also would require ships to send electronically a detailed crew and passenger manifest. Both domestic and foreign airlines are now required to provide similar information to U.S. border agencies. The legislation would provide a legal basis for the existing "sea marshals" program fashioned after "air marshals," armed security agents that anonymously fly on some domestic and all international flights. Members of sea marshal units created by the Coast Guard after September 11 board U.S.-bound ships just before they enter U.S. ports to protect vessels and ports from terrorist acts. The bill would require by 2005 all ships operating in U.S. waters to be equipped with electronic transponders that identify them and provide information about their location. Similar devices are part of standard equipment on airplanes. Another provision would restrict access to secure port areas to port employees, shipping crews and truck drivers carrying a security card to be developed by the Transportation Department. In one instance, the House bill would go even beyond what Congress has envisioned for air transportation by authorizing the Coast Guard to establish antiterrorism teams that could quickly respond to threats against ships, ports and cargo in U.S. waters. But in contrast to aviation where the main concern is passenger traffic, the bulk of what moves through U.S. ports is cargo, most of it in shipping containers. Because U.S. Customs agents inspect less than 2 percent of these containers, Congress and the administration fear that cargo containers can be used to smuggle in terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. Thus the bill would require the Transportation Department to develop an identification and screening system for containerized cargo. It would also obligate the department to improve the physical security of shipping containers, including a system to detect any tampering or breaking of the seal. The Transportation Department, which has already started working on such systems, announced June 4 that it had successfully tested a so-called "smart seal," a radio frequency device that indicates if a container has been tampered with. The House bill will have to be reconciled with a similar bill passed by the Senate in December. The Senate measure would authorize $1,100 million over five years for security improvements at the 50 strategic seaports and the hiring of additional Customs inspectors, and $3,300 million in loan guarantees for local port security upgrades. The House bill would provide for $225 million in grants over three years to enhance port security. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)