The Hindu Business Line : US’ Secure Freight Initiative

No new terrorist attacks in the US have occurred ever since 9/11 and still the US Government’s Department of Homeland Security feels that the threat is high. The accent therefore now is to collect advance information — including comprehensive manifest information and shipping history — on all containers bound for the United States to inspect all cargoes deemed to be high risk. It is interesting to note that the Homeland Security now deploys more than 200,000 mean and women for constant vigilance, has introduced a system of layered security to identify and intercept dangerous cargoes, appointed US inspectors in 52 foreign seaports covering more than 80 per cent of the container traffic to the US, increased the size of border patrol from 9,000 in 2001 to 14,500 now and deployed thousands of National Guard militia units to support construction of new fencing and vehicle barriers, complete with cameras, sensors and aerial surveillance. As part of the Secure Freight Initiative, a move is afoot to install radiation detection equipment, imaging machines and optical character readers in seven foreign ports. Three of these ports are Port Cortes (Honduras), Port Southampton (UK) and Port Qasim (Pakistan).

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