U.S.-Bound Cargo to Be Screened at Six Ports

[WhiteTara]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701644.html

U.S.-bound cargo will be scanned for nuclear and radiological material at six foreign ports starting in February under a pact with host governments announced by U.S. officials yesterday, including a port operated by an Arab-owned company that ignited a political storm in Congress.

The Homeland Security and Energy departments next year will begin scanning all U.S.-bound containers at Puerto Cortes, Honduras; Qasim, Pakistan; and Southampton, England, officials said.

Limited scanning will also be done at Salalah, Oman; Singapore; and Busan, Korea, on a trial basis. The program will cover more than 7 percent of 11 million containers annually shipped to the United States.

The Southampton facility is operated by Dubai Ports World, the United Arab Emirates company whose purchase of U.S. port operations was approved by the Bush administration, but which the company was pressured earlier this year to spin off by Congress because of security concerns over foreign ownership.

The company also has operations elsewhere at the Qasim and Busan port complexes, U.S. officials said.
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[twilight_sailing]

1. Good thing the terrorists are so stupid

that they don't know that they can use other ports.

[aquart]

2. Dubai is screening our imports? How comforting.