Chapter 2 Maritime and Port Security

Question 1

If a WMD were to be detonated at a major US port, what are some consequences that we could expect?

Answer 1

• substantial loss of life
• immediate closure of all ports
• week/month long search for more bombs (if any)
• gradual reopening of ports
• worldwide back up of goods and materials due to opening and closing ports
• a global recession and a severely damaged economy

Question 2

9/11 has caused…

Answer 2

moe concern through the us of global supply chain for WMD’s

Question 3

Which countries are most affected by 9/11 and trade?

Answer 3

• US (of course)
• major trade partners (china, canada)
• 1st world countries more affected than 3rd world countries

Question 4

What percentage of cargo is moved by containers?

Answer 4

90%

Question 5

At any moment, how many containers are in use?

Answer 5

100 million

Question 6

How many containers arrive annually in the US?

Answer 6

9 million, 30K daily “needle in a haystack” saying

Question 7

Explain the concept of “Black Swans”

Answer 7

• banks merging into a smaller number of very large banks
• so when one fails, they all fail
• when a crisis happens, it will be more global in scale and will hit hard

Question 8

How would you and I be affected today if ports were shut down around the world?

Answer 8

• good would become scarce
• hurt our economy/finances
• price of goods would go up
• unemployment
• craziness

Question 9

What could be the outcomes of a fictitious nuclear explosion at Port of Long Beach?

Answer 9

• 60k people die instantly
• 150k people exposed to radioactive water or sediment
• destroy all infrastructure and ships
• 6 million people might need relocation
• gas supplies run short

Question 10

How much gas does Long Beach provide?

Answer 10

-refineries supply 1/3 of gas west of the Rockies

Question 11

Statistics of US land ports

Answer 11

• 163
• $2bil/day crosses
• 350,000 vehicles
• 135,000 pedestrians
• 30,000 trucks

Question 12

Which port is the largest in the south

Answer 12

Laredo

• 6th largest gateway (including air)
• 14% of total US land trade crosses

Question 13

Why is the Laredo port more of a concern than a northern border?

Answer 13

• cartels
• more entry ways further south than Mexico
• ties with drug cartels in Mexico with the Middle East (huge problem)

Question 14

If detection of WMD, why would exports also be closed?

Answer 14

-other countries wouldn’t want us to export anything to them cause they would be afraid we have something in the cargo

Question 15

WMD concerns on outbound containers

Answer 15

• someone framing the us from inside
• could be going to another port in the US
• might be easier to disguise a WMD on outbound, because security pays more attention to the inbound things

Question 16

What are the three initiatives from the Defense Business Council?

Answer 16

• Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)
• Container Security Initiative (CSI)
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

Question 17

What 4 programs does the Govt. rely on?

Answer 17

• Scanning
• RFID
• Container seals
• Content of in-bound shipments

Question 18

What is a weakness of the C-TPAT?

Answer 18

-terrorists prob not participating since its voluntary

Question 19

What is a weakness of the CSI?

Answer 19

• 24 hour manifest
• carrier inputs what the shipper “says” are the contents
• but is that accurate

Question 20

What would need to be done in order to improve the CSI?

Answer 20

• use Container security devices (CSD) that would identify person who inspected and verified contents at sealing
• basically, take the burden of proof and put it on the importers so that they have to go back and find out what was actually put in the container

Question 21

Transportation Worker Identification Credential program (TWIC)

Answer 21

-DHS was required to issue a work ID card that uses biometrics to control access to secure areas of ports or ships

Question 22

What are some of the errors in the TWIC system?

Answer 22

• not readers installed everywhere, so doesn’t work as good as they thought (people can easily replicate the cards to look the same)
• require two trips to get
• a lot of waiting time (4-6 weeks)
• 10 states do not have TWIC offices

Question 23

Scanning and the SAFE Port Act

Answer 23

• congress legislated that 100% of containers be scanned
• containers loaded at a foreign port shall not enter the US unless it has been scanned before being loaded on vessel
• US can not mandate other countries to do this

Question 24

Scanning Problems

Answer 24

1. terrorists are more likely to use highly enriched uranium
2. terrorists can circumvent fixed detectors
3. R&D cannot change the physics of detection
   - short distance
   - adequate amount of time to detect

Question 25

What is a major port vulnerability?

Answer 25

• outbound containers

- lone wolves that are homegrown terrorists

Question 26

How many acts of piracy were reported in 2012?

Answer 26

nearly 300

Question 27

What is the largest group of pirates today?

Answer 27

Somali Pirates

Question 28

How do these pirates impact us?

Answer 28

• delays in shipments

- might raise shipping prices due to security, re routing

Question 29

What are some concerns shipping companies and importers have regarding piracy?

Answer 29

• goods being stolen
• employees getting hurt
• losing money due to ransom
• don’t want info in the wrong hands
• pirates could be adding harmful objects to the containers when they take them over

Question 30

What has been done around the world to help protect against piracy?

Answer 30

• coordination between navies
• canada and australia operate joint intelligence centers that fuse information from a variety of coerces into one comprehensive picture
• improved ship registration and identification systems
• IMB’s piracy reporting center

Question 31

What can an individual company do to protect vessels?

Answer 31

• Increase speed if sense suspicious activity
• commence evasive maneuvers
• barbed wire, electric fences
• sonic booms
• hire former military for protection