Homeland Security Sees Small Boats As Terror Threat

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff last week called for the screening and inspection of small boats for bombs as a new anti-terrorism initiative.  He said: “Are there going to be some squawks?  Absolutely.”  He said that the Department of Homeland Security intends to launch its small boats initiative with a pilot program in San Diego.

Chertoff said that although a lot of effort has been expended on screening cargo containers for bombs, “I haven’t heard anybody talk about small boats….And a nuclear bomb on a small boat can do just as much damage as one in a container.”  He pointed to the small vessel used by al-Qaida in the suicide bombing of the guided missile destroyer USS Cole in October, 2000.

The nation’s 17 million small boats are facing increased scrutiny from the Homeland Security Department, which fears they could be used in a nuclear attack or a lethal explosion at a U.S. port.

USA Today has more.

The Coast Guard is seeking a new federal requirement that all boat operators carry identification wherever they are on the water so it can build a database of boaters found in restricted areas. The agency also wants to require state boating courses to teach security protocols such as avoiding cruise-ship terminals and military facilities.

Although new mandates would apply to operators of state-registered boats  usually those with an engine the Homeland Security Department is focused on protecting major ports near large cities.

Boat operators, represented by the Boat Owners Association, support the effort as long as they don’t have to get separate ID cards or install costly tracking devices, association lobbyist Margaret Podlich said.