Port Security Issues: An Analysis of Congressional Actions

Excerpts from the Paper

Port Security Issues: An Analysis of Congressional Actions
Asymmetric Threats Facing Major Seaports Today
In categorizing the potential list of asymmetric terrorist threats facing major seaports today, and outlining what are believed by authorities to be major US seaport vulnerabilities to attack, it is evident that American ports are still extremely vulnerable to terrorism, despite the passage of the Maritime Transportation and Security Act of 2002 and related legislation intended to improve port and maritime security (DHS 2003, 1).
Eight years after the passage of the MTSA, asymmetric threats such as a nuclear device or chemical or biological material smuggled aboard an oil tanker or cargo vessel are still being inadequately addressed by...

.....ormance of these agencies.
Sources
Flynn, Stephen. America the Vulnerable: How Our Government Is Failing to Protect Us from Terrorism. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
Medalia, Jonathan. “Port and Maritime Security: Potential for Terrorist Nuclear Attack Using Oil Tankers.“ Congressional Research Service, December 7, 2004. Online. Available: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21997.pdf. 16 June 2010.
“Protecting America’s Ports.” (2003). DHS. Department of Homeland Security. Online. Available: http://users.mo-net.com/district8wr/public/ MTSA _Port_Presskit.pdf. 26 July 2010.
Verini, James. “Two If By Sea.” The American Prospect. March 30, 2005. Online. Available: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=two_if_by_sea. 27 July 2010.