(September 2001)
The entire United States (and anyone else in the world with
access to cable, or for that matter, any TV) has become intimately involved in
what is sure to become the seminal event of our time. The World Trade Center
terrorism will change all of our lives in some respect from the day of the
event onward. The only question is how much our lives will be changed. Even
after the current threats pass our lives will ever be altered. It is up to our
government and us as to the direction our country and our lives will take. If
we leave it to our enemies, they would destroy us.
Security of our airborne and waterborne commerce has now
become a major national issue. This is an opportunity for the USCG to bring
the maritime industry together for the common good. The Secretary of the
Department of Transportation (DOT) has directed the USCG improve waterborne
security in our port areas, as is being done with the air travel industry.
Initially this meant that individual Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP)
units and Districts were to quickly develop plans and methodology suitable to
each individual port area.
There is no question that the USCG is taking great pains
attempting to minimize the impact upon maritime commerce while incrementally
increasing waterborne security. The USCG knows that the only real way to
prevent the type of sabotage that we are worried about is to place armed
personnel on every vessel within the U.S. Territorial Sea. If maritime
sabotage does occur this may be the only appropriate course of action. Our
ports and waterways are so complex and diverse that variations from one port
area to another are appropriate, certainly on a short term basis and probable
in the long term. It is likely that ocean going deep draft traffic will be
treated somewhat differently from non-ocean going vessels because potential
threats are different.
These increased security measures at the minimum request
all facility and vessel operators to review their security procedures and
possibly update them. Formal security plans are not currently required. In
some ports data concerning vessel movements, cargo movement information and
crewlists are required. Some ports require specific authorization from the
USCG Captain of the Port to navigate at all. Specific liquid cargo movements
and cargo handling will come under close scrutiny in some ports and not in
others.
Containers will be of particular concern and will be
extremely difficult to keep secure. It is not at all clear how passenger
cruise lines will be impacted around the country. The variations from one port
area to another are too numerous to specifically enumerate. The information is
however available from each local Captain of the Port office around the
country. It will likely be very difficult for individual vessels and operators
to become expert in the broad range of security expectations from one port to
another, but it is essential to our survival as a successful commercial
nation. Coast Guard Area Commanders (both East and West) have promulgated
special regulations under 33 CFR Part 165 concerning Naval Vessel Protection
Zones. These zones limit and control traffic in close proximity to naval
combatants, auxiliaries, and vessels leased to or chartered by the U.S. Navy.
All vessels within 500 yards of a naval vessel must operated at minimum speed
and proceed as directed by the authorized officers (USCG Captains of the Port
or other designated officer). Vessels may not approach within 100 yards of a
naval vessel without permission of these authorized officers.
Clearly, the goals of Port Security are to obstruct
terrorism and not impede commerce. While the mechanisms to accomplish this
will change and evolve over the coming months, the USCG seems to be making
great efforts in working closely with the maritime industry to achieve both of
these goals.
