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CNN Sunday Morning
How Safe Are U.S. Ports?
Aired November 24, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Since last year's September 11 attacks, what's unloaded at America's ports is of particular concern. The passage of the homeland security bill is expected to give a major boost to port security. CNN's Seema Mathur examines the current vulnerabilities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If people can reach U.S. ports by hiding in containers and drugs can be smuggled in the very same way, then what are the chances for weapons of mass destruction?
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R-CT), SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY: We are vulnerable. We can't protect ourselves from a nuclear device being put on, in a container, and carried by a container shipment to the United States. That is the reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
MATHUR: A ship originating from Hong Kong is arriving at the port of Savannah at 6:00 in the evening, but it's not inspected by U.S. Customs until morning, some 14 hours later.
ANGELA DOWNEY, U.S. CUSTOMS PORT DIRECTOR: If it were something that was an immediate threat, that we had information on, or of that nature, we would definitely have met the ship that night.
MATHUR: And that determination was made by what U.S. Customs calls their "multi-layered security approach."
It starts with analyzing the manifest, a description of the cargo sent by the ship. It's cross-checked with a database of previous manifests for discrepancies. Inspectors especially keep their eyes out for the vague ones like this that just say, "General cargo."
Suspicious cargo is put through this large gamma ray machine that works like an X-ray, but only major ports have them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of us have radiation pagers.
MATHUR: All ports have been given personal radiation detectors, and some major ports have handheld and other radiation devices that can check small packages, but all are criticized for not being foolproof.
JAYETTA Z. HECKER, GAO: Detection of nuclear materials is dependent on technology that is limited.
MATHUR (on camera): About six million containers enter the U.S. every year, and after U.S. Customs narrows down which ones are suspicious, it's estimated that about 2 percent of all containers are inspected. The irony is that some fear a more extensive check would hit America exactly where the terrorist are aiming, the economy.
DOWNEY: If we were to inspect every single container that came into the Port of Savannah, it truly would stop the flow of cargo out and into the port totally.
MATHUR (voice-over): The immediate solution does not lie in checking every container, but making sure the containers are safe before they get to U.S. ports.
U.S. customs says they are negotiating putting inspection teams at 20 major ports worldwide. But, currently, U.S. teams are only in the Netherlands and Canada.
Experts say the overseas prevention is key, because right now, the security measures at the more than 100 U.S. sea ports, the last line of defense, may not be enough.
Seema Mathur, CNN, Savannah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 24, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Since last year's September 11 attacks, what's unloaded at America's ports is of particular concern. The passage of the homeland security bill is expected to give a major boost to port security. CNN's Seema Mathur examines the current vulnerabilities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If people can reach U.S. ports by hiding in containers and drugs can be smuggled in the very same way, then what are the chances for weapons of mass destruction?
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R-CT), SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY: We are vulnerable. We can't protect ourselves from a nuclear device being put on, in a container, and carried by a container shipment to the United States. That is the reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
MATHUR: A ship originating from Hong Kong is arriving at the port of Savannah at 6:00 in the evening, but it's not inspected by U.S. Customs until morning, some 14 hours later.
ANGELA DOWNEY, U.S. CUSTOMS PORT DIRECTOR: If it were something that was an immediate threat, that we had information on, or of that nature, we would definitely have met the ship that night.
MATHUR: And that determination was made by what U.S. Customs calls their "multi-layered security approach."
It starts with analyzing the manifest, a description of the cargo sent by the ship. It's cross-checked with a database of previous manifests for discrepancies. Inspectors especially keep their eyes out for the vague ones like this that just say, "General cargo."
Suspicious cargo is put through this large gamma ray machine that works like an X-ray, but only major ports have them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of us have radiation pagers.
MATHUR: All ports have been given personal radiation detectors, and some major ports have handheld and other radiation devices that can check small packages, but all are criticized for not being foolproof.
JAYETTA Z. HECKER, GAO: Detection of nuclear materials is dependent on technology that is limited.
MATHUR (on camera): About six million containers enter the U.S. every year, and after U.S. Customs narrows down which ones are suspicious, it's estimated that about 2 percent of all containers are inspected. The irony is that some fear a more extensive check would hit America exactly where the terrorist are aiming, the economy.
DOWNEY: If we were to inspect every single container that came into the Port of Savannah, it truly would stop the flow of cargo out and into the port totally.
MATHUR (voice-over): The immediate solution does not lie in checking every container, but making sure the containers are safe before they get to U.S. ports.
U.S. customs says they are negotiating putting inspection teams at 20 major ports worldwide. But, currently, U.S. teams are only in the Netherlands and Canada.
Experts say the overseas prevention is key, because right now, the security measures at the more than 100 U.S. sea ports, the last line of defense, may not be enough.
Seema Mathur, CNN, Savannah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
