Port Security - Kerry warned us!

[johnaries]

2003:
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2003/12/18/kerry_says_security_at_ports_is_lacking/

PORTSMOUTH -- Calling the busy harbor port here a "point of opportunity" for terrorists, John F. Kerry called yesterday for significantly increasing screening of cargo and hiring of customs inspectors to improve security at the nation's ports. After a morning boat tour of the harbor, Kerry expressed concern that US inspectors scrutinize only 4 percent of containers that are unloaded daily at the nation's ports. He declined to give his own target percentage when asked, but said that the US should strive for 100 percent, though he acknowledged that the high cost of inspecting all containers would make it difficult. Kerry argued that President Bush has failed to make US ports more secure after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Globe staff)

2004:
http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2024267.html

The senator said he’d restore federal assistance that Bush has cut from local emergency personnel.

“I will invest at least $60 billion more over the next 10 years to protect America,” Kerry said.

That money would be used, in part, to secure ports and borders by screening all shipments for nuclear materials; by adding border agents and improving technology for their use; and by developing a single terrorist watch list that would be broadly available.

“We have a lot of catching up to do and we need to begin right now,” Kerry said. “We have to fix the problems and close the gaps that George Bush has left in our homeland security.”

2005:
http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=240527

Today, the Senate adopted an amendment to the Homeland Security Bill offered by Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) along with Senator Frank Lautenberg (D - N.J.) and Senator Jon Corzine (D-N.J.). The amendment will force the Homeland Security Department to take real steps to fix gaping holes in the agency’s work to secure America’s ports.
“Today we have taken one step in the right direction in improving our homeland security. Keeping our ports safe is essential to protecting our homeland and keeping our citizens and economy safe.

2nd Presidential Debate: http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/Bush_Kerry_2_Homeland_Security.htm

KERRY: 95% of our containers coming into this country are not inspected today.

3rd debate: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6227111/

Kerry slammed the administration for failing to secure America’s ports and fully staff America’s firehouses.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041014-1.html

"The measurement is not, are we safer; the measurement is, are we as safe as we ought to be. And there are a host of options that this President had available to him, like making sure that at all our ports in America, containers are inspected. Only 95 percent of them -- 95 percent come in today uninspected. That's not good enough."

Kerry has been SCREAMING for better port security. Bush: sells it to the terrorists.

[MadMaddie]

1. New bumper sticker...

Bush sells our ports to the terrorist and thinks it's a good idea!!

<snip>
Kerry has been SCREAMING for better port security. Bush: sells it to the terrorists.
<snip>

[Roland99]

2. Apathy and pseudo-Christianity is destroying this country

The brain-dead pseudo-Christians and the apathetic (who hate all politicians and stick with a known evil vs. an unknown "evil") are allowing the GOP to rape and plunder America and sell her off to the lowest bidder.

[astonamous]

5. Yes, but who won the damn nascar race this weekend?

:sarcasm:

[FreedomAngel82]

9. No you silly

It's "American Idol"!!

[Roland99]

28. Jimmie Johnson...while under yellow due to an accident

I like NASCAR, personally.

Always have. ;)

[johnaries]

30. Hey, we NEED you and your ideas!

see this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=461380

Please post any ideas or pm benburch.

Thanks!

[astonamous]

38. I prefer drag racing...the race is shorter.

I didn't mean to put down one American past-time over another. Just my way of saying that too many people are more interested in these events than with their own future and the future of their posterity.

Actually, I'd go watch a Nascar race before I'd watch a baseball game. How un-American is that?

Trudy

[Roland99]

39. I've never been to a NASCAR race, plenty of ballgames, though.

I did make to the Indy time trials one year (Roberto Guerrero was a rookie, you figure it out ;) )

[upi402]

3. Yep! Even Patty Murray of Washington State warned us

There are major ports in Washington. And not only are they left vulnerable, the dumbass local Port Authority there booted the long-time local workers. Then they hired out-of-state non-union workers. Some were foreign no doubt.

BushCo has made us less safe. I bet the only reason Al Qaeda has not attacked is because they could NEVER damage America as much as BushCo has damaged America.

[MadMaddie]

11. Hey in Washington..with Alaska Airlines...

We have seen the results of outsourcing and replacing the union baggage people with the lowest bidder, we have had great results!!:sarcasm:

[upi402]

12. i read the outsorced workers bumped planes, etc

:mad:
isn'i it United that's outsourcing maintenance to Taiwan?

[MadMaddie]

19. Yes...they damaged a couple of planes...

One of the workers didn't report his incident and caused one of the planes to have to return because of depressurizing of the plane.

Yes, to your question and it's not just United....

So we have the plane companies that got hammered on 9/11 because they failed to reinforce their cockpit doors outsourcing maintenance of the planes to foreign companies in other countries.

Ummm...what is to prevent a maintenance person from sabotaging a plane or planting a device on a plane?:wtf:

[upi402]

21. exactly what worried me, other counties are hostile to US

and may not be in earnest to secure the companies and workers maintaining our planes.

"keeping 'merica safe fron tearrishsts"

[Kierkegaard]

17. I believe you are right about Al Qaeda.

One of bin Laden's primary objectives was to economically cripple this country. Why would he waste his resources if the job is being done so successfully by our own Government?

Port and border security is just more NeoCon misdirection designed to distract a sleepy electorate while they go about the business of world domination. What I can't wrap my noggin around is how people can be so easily duped by this crap when you consider that despite all the talk, security hasn't changed appreciably in the years since 9/11. On the contrary, these assholes have actually slashed funding so dramatically for so many services, the opposite is probably true.

[MadMaddie]

22. That's where the conversation needs to go..

While the * Cabal and their talking points keep touting what amazing progress they have made in securing this country....

American should be responding with, "Prove It"!! We want to see proof.(of course their canned response is it will be a threat to National Security)

Democrats have the upper hand in this conversation because they can prove that there has been no real improvement since 9/11.

Katrina-Disasterous response to a Hurricane...if they are not prepard for a storm are they really ready for a Nuke..

Port Security-Do the repugs take Security of this nation seriously if they have the nerve to propose the selling of the ports to a Mid-East country?

Security of Power Plants, Nuclear Plants and other important industries in America...

We need to attack them on the very thing that they think they are infallable!!

[upi402]

46. Katrina shows we are poorly prepared for major hits

I have felt sure for decades that the media was brainwashing folks.
Now I know they are a propaganda organ of the conservative's corporate state.

They will cheat like hell to steal the 2006 elections in hopes of * pardons, and a last push to loot our treasury/economy/futures.

[blm]

4. Well, the media told us Bush couldn't be touched on the terror issue

so they proceeded to ignore everything Kerry said about it throughout the campaign.

Great media we have keeping a president accountable.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TahitiNut]

10. "Better to kill those that would ..."

:wtf:

A universe of oppression in that modality. Wouldacouldashouldaland. :puke:

[Poiuyt]

13. Yes, let's fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here!

:sarcasm:

[johnaries]

14. I do not consider all Muslims "terrorists" and recognise we

have many Muslim friends.

However, factions in Dubai have many connections to al Qaeda:
http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/nov02/southAsia.asp

Financial investigators tracking al Qaeda assets rely heavily on data and paper trails from commercial banks and financial regulators in pursuing and investigating leads. Such data have included the tracing of wire transfers between suspected hijacker Mohammed Atta and Shaykh Saiid of Dubai, believed to be one of Osama bin Laden's key financial operatives.....

...Although Pakistan, India, and the Persian Gulf states are home to the largest concentration of Hawala organizations, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, perhaps handles the largest volume of transactions.

[MadMaddie]

15. Ummm...why not look at what other countries are doing?

This is the problem with the * Cabal they refuse to look at existing and best practices from around the world.

Ummm...how do you find em to kill em? Do you wipe out entire populations?

<snip>
Better to kill those that would put something into a container before they do it.
<snip>

The * Cabal can't find "Katrina Victims" or OBL how would they find those that want to put something in containers.


How about bringing back the professionals that can implement current technology and know about port security


The futility is that you have neocon cronies holding positions that they have no experience in. They can't think outside of the box on how to resolve problems because it's not their expertise.

[rman]

16. "sentenced to death before found guilty"

nice neocon talking point.

[Dawgs]

18. WTF!!!

Are you serious freeper?

How bout we just kill all terrorists in the world? Good luck finding them all (especially when Bush is creating new ones everyday).

[obreaslan]

20. Just look at some of the other posts this guy has put up...

in the last 20 minutes. I think you'll find your answer. It won't be long now.

:popcorn:

[ginnyinWI]

24. his username is very telling. n/t

[txindy]

31. "Bring out your dead!"

No, that didn't take very long. It wasn't a very interesting one, though. Not very intelligent, either. Pity.

[Vektor]

33. The mods are kicking ass today!

Another one bites the dust!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=user_profiles&u_id=185504

[txindy]

34. It was named "truthpower?" Wow. It's 'dead', but irony obviously isn't!

:rofl:

[Vektor]

36. I know!

It was a dead giveaway when he jumped on a thread to defend a troll who called Dems "assholes" - long after the troll had been tombstoned.

He ranted for a while and then claimed to be a Democrat.

:rofl:

[Vektor]

32. He must be friends with

the troll on the "Hey Freepers" thread with a nearly identical posting history who appeared out of nowhere to DEFEND a troll that got tombstoned for calling all Democrats "assholes."

I think they must be coming out of their holes en masse today.

[dogday]

35. The a'holes coming out of their holes

I have been tag-teamed by a few today. One will post this off the wall crap and another comes behind and says bingo to it.... you know I just can't help but feed the monkeys, I know I should not...

[Vektor]

37. It's fun to bat them around a bit before the coup de grace....

...which is snapping their trolly little necks!

[Coastie for Truth]

23. I'm just the cop.

<>

<>

And, if one slips by - it's all my fault.

[johnaries]

26. Seriously? You're Coast Guard? Thank you for your service!

I would love to hear what you have to say on this whole issue!
:patriot:

[Coastie for Truth]

27. I have been posting all over DU on this

I think it is between an actual disaster and a disaster waiting to happen.

I was in New Orleans during VietNam - Port Security and HazMat (my wife taught in the infamous Lower Ninth Ward).

One bad part about the CG in the 1960's-1970's. We did not have "counselling" after a body recovery - and a lot of our people did get that PTSD that hits fire fighters and rescue medics.

[johnaries]

29. I'm sorry I've missed your other posts.

I'll have to do a search and read them.

And you bring up another issue that definitely has not gotten enough attention, PTSD: in all branches of service.

Thank you, again!

[JanusAscending]

45. Hi! I've tried to do a search of another posters threads, but

I can't figure out how to do that!! Can someone HELP!! (please):loveya:

[johnaries]

25. Bye-bye! Sorry you couldn't stay longer!

Don't know who alerted, but that was pretty quick!

[blm]

50. I missed the fun.

.

[rodeodance]

7. yes, i recall this issue was one of his main issues during the campaign th

en it zapped off the radar.

[blm]

40. Becaus media needed the storyline that Bush was strong on terror so they

made certain not to report on Kerry's attacks on Bush's incompetent policies re terror.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Of course he did

Kerry knows this stuff very well. Try to find his book "The New War". You can get it at Amazon.com for around $16. He talks about globalized crime and he predicts 9/11. But oh Kerry's a loser so people don't want him to be president. :eyes: Imagine all the terrorism work he can do! He closed BCCI and did Iran/Contra he would be amazing at it.

[globalvillage]

41. Fewer Speeches, More Action Needed on Port Security

07/20/2005

John Kerry: Fewer Speeches, More Action Needed on Port Security

Senator John Kerry made the following statement on port security today:

“The president is in Baltimore today talking about port security but as the cameras roll, his own Department of Homeland Security has three times missed the deadline for completing a national blueprint to prevent terrorist attacks at ports. Nearly four years and countless warnings later, that work isn’t done. That’s absolutely inexcusable. How can they argue with a straight face they’re doing all they can to protect our ports when we don’t even have basic plans in place?
“The Administration has been asleep at the switch while shipload after shipload of cargo goes uninspected. The Department of Homeland Security’s own Inspector General said that only a fraction of the money awarded for port security grants has actually been spent, and much of what has been spent has been badly mismanaged. For crying out loud, more has been spent on the Capitol Visitors Center than on the Port Security Grant Program.

“Speeches aren’t going to cut it. This is going to take real action and real follow-through. We have to fix this mess right away, and hold the administration accountable for getting this right.”

http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=241166

This statement was very pissed-off Kerry. I expect we'll hear more soon.

[MiniMe]

42. Much of what Kerry said in the debates has come to pass

Unfortunately, we seem to be the only ones noticing.

[Synnical]

43. Thanks, johnaries, good work n/t

:kick: :yourock:

[TayTay]

44. I think this is an effective wedge issue for the fall

and shows which Party is serious about actually doing something to make the country safer and which Party is just mouthing the words. (Real port security does make us safer. Fishing expeditions with the NSA wiretapping doesn't.)

Kerry was right on a lot of things. The Democrats are right on a lot of things. We need that going forward into the mid-terms.

[FreedomAngel82]

47. Yep

Too bad for 2006 the theme couldn't be "Kerry was right."

[Nothing Without Hope]

48. Here's another thread to fuel this fire of outrage - LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x476901
thread title (2-20-06 GD): UAE ports would get advanced warning on military shipments:
Comment/excerpt: FORTY PERCENT OF US ARMY CARGO WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY DUBAI-OWNED US PORTS!!! Excerpt from ThinkProgress article: “The company, Dubai Ports World, would also control the movement of military equipment on behalf of the U.S. Army through two other ports. From today’s edition of the British paper Lloyd’s List: has just renewed a contract with the United States Surface Deployment and Distribution Command to provide stevedoring of military equipment at the Texan ports of Beaumont and Corpus Christi through 2010. According to the journal Army Logistician ‘Almost 40 percent of the Army cargo deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom flows through these two ports.’ “

[blm]

49. Remember Zell said Kerry would "outsource our national security to France"

during his speech at the GOP convention?

If more lawmakers would have grasped BCCI, a deal like this would never even have been contemplated, and no Bush would have been allowed NEAR the White House.