Port security
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Port security refers to all homeland security and counterterrorism activities that fall within the port and maritime domain. It includes the protection of the seaports themselves, the protection and inspection of the cargo moving through the ports, and security in the maritime domain. In the United States, Port security is handled jointly by the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, both within the Department of Homeland Security. Local law enforcement agencies and the FBI also have a role in port security at the local and regional level.
At the international level, port security is governed by rules issued by the International Maritime Organization, and its 2002 International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. Numerous U.S.-based programs have become de facto global port security programs, including the Container Security Initiative and the Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism.
Port security gained prominence politically in 2006 due to the sale of British company P&O Ports, including its American port assets to Dubai Ports World. The ensuing controversy led to charges that the purchase would pose a national security risk. In late March 2006, Dubai Ports World announced that it would sell off its American assets, a promise fulfilled with the sale of these assets to AIG in December 2006.
The new attention to port security that the controversy generated led to the passage of the Safe PORT Act (H.R. 4954) in Congress in 2006.
