3-yr Study-Lapses At Ports Could Allow Terrorists To Smuggle WMD Into USA

Study Warns of Lapses by Port Operators
By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - Lapses by private port operators, shipping lines or truck drivers could allow terrorists to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into the United States, according to a government review of security at American seaports.


The $75 million, three-year study by the Homeland Security Department included inspections at a New Jersey cargo terminal involved in the dispute over a Dubai company's now-abandoned bid to take over significant operations at six major U.S. ports.

The previously undisclosed results from the study found that cargo containers can be opened secretly during shipment to add or remove items without alerting U.S. authorities, according to government documents marked "sensitive security information" and obtained by The Associated Press.

The study found serious lapses by private companies at foreign and American ports, aboard ships, and on trucks and trains "that would enable unmanifested materials or weapons of mass destruction to be introduced into the supply chain."

Or maybe it was Russian special forces.

In case the study shows up. I have not been able to find it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2160706

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ports_security_study

And vote for the story at Yahoo News. 4 stars with 142 votes, at the moment.

Edit: An interesting excerpt from the Yahoo article.

Parts of the study could not be finished at all. U.S. officials went to Pakistan to inspect how workers in Karachi handle cargo containers. But they canceled plans for a return inspection because of an outbreak of terrorist attacks there.

I worked with containers, and at least 80% of them are sealed with a generic numbered seal.
You order a lot of 1000, and unless you specify the number to start with they'll be 100000-101000. always 6 digits.

If you wanted to remove a seal, stick a bomb in there, put another seal on with the same #, no one would be the wiser.