60 Minutes doing ports segment...on now (7pm west coast - CBS)...

[Wordie]

interviewing Steven Flynn, thought to be world's foremost expert on port security.

He basically said the problems with the ports are much larger than this issue with one company. The problems are system wide. We don't have adequate safeguards or regs in place. For instance, it is rent-a-cops who are handling port security. They are the worst-paid employees on the dock. There are no standards for training or experience.

The segment showed how some containers are checked, and at the time those checking would focus on foreign containers. Flynn said that was foolish, as a terrorist would be far more sophisticated than that and would likely choose a well-known company, whose containers are rarely checked. He gave the example of a truck driver in Indonesia being offered an amount of money greater than he had ever seen in his life to go take a long break, and in the meanwhile, the bad guys put something bad in one of the crates in the truck. Because the company was a well known one, with a good reputation, the bad thing wouldn't be discovered under the current system, because it would be assumed that this good company would not have something bad onboard.

[rsmith6621]

1. Just Imagine If....

We spent 2 Billion $$$$ anually on Port security or better yet the $$$ that we are spending in Iraq thus far on National Security we wouldnt have to worry about fighting them over there because they probably wouldnt be able to get over here....

But reality say's.....Halliburton and the Bush Cronies wouldnt make as much money....

It was a good report.

[BadgerKid]

2. Hoist...petard, etc.

Couple of thoughts
1) that would be rather clever of the t'ists since *co wants to promote "good business"
2) hypocrasy on the part of *co. While *co insists on infringing on Americans' rights and privacy, foreign goods are hardly scrutinized and are passed right down the umbilical cord. See #1.

Maybe if we imported items in the size of luggage carry-ons then they would be guaranteed better screening :eyes: