By Steven L Herman, Auxiliary Public Information Officer, U.S. TOKYO - For the first time, ministers responsible for transportation security have made coordinated plans to prevent future terrorist attacks. Transportation ministers from 14 countries met in Tokyo (Jan. 12-13) and announced their unanimous commitment to greater international cooperation on transportation security and, in particular, to take all possible measures to thwart terrorism targeting public transport systems. Maritime security was high on the agenda of the first Ministerial Conference on International Transport Security and of particular focus were small cargo ships, fishing vessels, harbor tugs, and boats like the one used to launch the October 20, 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.
