Study: Puget Sound Ferries Terror Target

The Puget Sound ferry system is believed to be the most likely target of maritime terrorism in the country, The Herald reported. The FBI's Threat Monitoring Unit examined thousands of incidents reported around boats, ports and other maritime facilities between September 2004 and September 2005, according to a Justice Department report released in March. The greatest concentration of alarming incidents happened on ferries in the Seattle area, followed by oil tankers off of the Gulf Coast. The FBI's threat unit analyzed about 51,000 reports and singled out 68 significant incidents, mostly involving people filming or photographing ferries or ferry terminals. 19 of those reports originated in this state, and 10 stemmed from the state ferry system. Security on the ferries has already been tightened. U.S. Coast Guard vessels escort some of the ferries, Washington State Patrol troopers patrol the ships and bomb-sniffing dogs search for explosives. Washington State Ferries and State Patrol officials meet at least once a month to discuss security. (Source: The Herald)