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Transportation Security Cards News

21 Mar 2019

Report: FBI Falls Short On Port Threat Assessment

© stockphoto mania/AdobeStock

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is not taking appropriate steps to review and assess potential maritime terrorism risks facing U.S. sea ports, the Justice Department's internal watchdog has found.The audit, released on Thursday by Inspector General Michael Horowitz, found that while top FBI officials believe the country faces a low maritime terrorism threat, that view is actually based on "incomplete and potentially inaccurate information."Moreover, the audit found that the FBI had not conducted its own formal assessment of the matter.In a letter to Horowitz dated Aug.

22 May 2012

Maritime Security & The Useless TWIC

Port workers in Wilmington, Del. become the first workers in the nation to enroll in the Transportation Workers Identity Credential (TWIC) program. (Port of Wilmington Photo)

Experience has clearly shown that the concept that the issuance of high-tech biometric transportation security cards, called the Transportation Worker Identification Credential or TWIC, could achieve these goals was fatally flawed from the beginning. With visions of al Qaeda terrorists lurking on US waterfronts and in the bowls of U.S.-flag vessels, Congress in 2002 included in the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) a requirement that unescorted access to secure areas in U.S.

01 Aug 2002

GOVERNMENT: Terrorism Threat and the Immediate Reaction

by Dennis L. When the federal government began examining United States vulnerabilities in the days following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it quickly became apparent that significant weakness existed on the U.S. maritime borders. Many, but not all, of these weaknesses were systemic and derived from both the U.S. open society and the procedures underlying modern maritime commerce. The goal quickly became to reduce the risk of maritime terrorism while not fundamentally altering the efficiencies of the commercial system. It was quickly realized that the threat to the maritime sector consisted of two distinct types: explosives and other contraband being shipped as cargo (particularly in a container) and the ship being used as a weapon…

16 Nov 2006

Bill Introduced for Issuance of TWIC Cards

Senator DeMint (R-SC) introduced a bill (S. 4047) to prohibit issuance of transportation security cards to individuals who have been convicted of certain crimes. The Senator explains the purpose of the bill. Source: HK Law

13 Jan 2003

Government Update:The Maritime Transportation Security Act 101

After a series of procedural maneuvers, the 107th Congress adopted the Maritime Transportation Security Act as one of its final bills prior to adjournment. President Bush signed measure into law on November 25, 2002 (Public Law 107-295). The new law represents the most significant expansion of maritime and port security authority since enactment of the so-called Magnuson Amendment in 1950. This Act contains a number of provisions authorizing the Coast Guard and other agencies to establish maritime security standards and mandate certain security enhancements to be undertaken by maritime industry. The Act requires facility and vessel vulnerability assessments to be done by the Coast Guard.

10 Jan 2003

Havnen:Port Security has Become the Dominant Maritime Issue

Much has been happening in the area of Transportation Security. The Department of Homeland Security has been created and will officially open its doors on March 1, 2003. The Coast Guard will remain intact and be an integral part of the new department. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London has been furiously at work generating new international standards. Last and not at all least, the Maritime Transportation Safety Act of 2002 (MTSA) is now the law of the land. For almost a year the Congress has been at an absolute impasse on the subject of maritime security. Suddenly, it has become sufficiently important (after the election) to draw the full attention of the Congress. The Lame Duck session of the Congress performed what had been impossible for the entire year.

04 Dec 2002

Maritime Industry Gets A New Act

After two years of machinations within Congress, involving various federal agencies and with some input from the private sector, the United States finally has a Maritime Transportation Security Act. This measure, when fully implemented, will impose broad security requirements on the maritime industry. It will also put the United States out of step with other nations with regard to various aspects of maritime security. This bill is a combination or synthesis of measures adopted separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate passed the Port and Maritime Security Act of 2001 on December 20, 2001. The Maritime Transportation Antiterrorism Act of 2002 passed the House of Representatives on June 4, 2002.