Cargo threat remains high, Homeland Security chief tells US Senate committee

NO new terrorist attacks in the US have occurred because of increases in the level of protection has frustrated the enemies of America, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security last week.

"But the threat is still high. It is no accident that we haven't suffered a major terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11. It is the result of the president's leadership, this committee's support and the hard work and constant vigilance of hundreds of thousands of men and women - including the 208,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security," he said.

Mr Chertoff said threats to infiltrate dangerous cargo through the international supply chain have been met by a system of layered security to identify and intercept such cargo before it reaches our shores.

"We now require advance information - including comprehensive manifest information and shipping history - on all containers bound for the United States, and we inspect all cargo that we deem to be high risk," he said.

"Through our Container Security Initiative, we've also deployed US inspectors to 52 foreign seaports covering more than 80 per cent of container traffic to the United States," he said.

Mr Chertoff said the US had increased the size of the Border Patrol from 9,000 agents in January 2001 to 14,500 today and have deployed thousands of National Guard militia units to support construction of new fencing and vehicle barriers, with a target of 370 miles of fencing and 300 miles of vehicle barriers by the end of next year as well as cameras, sensors and unmanned aerial drones.

"As part of our Secure Freight Initiative, we are placing radiation detection equipment, imaging machines and optical character readers in an initial set of seven foreign ports. Three of these ports - Port Cortes (Honduras), Port Qasim (Pakistan) and Southampton (UK) - will scan 100 per cent of the cargo coming to the US," he said.