A senior Customs Service official today told supply-chain executives that freight shipments are most likely the next target for a terrorist attack against the United States.
U.S. Customs Deputy Commissioner Douglas M. Browning defended the government's efforts to tighten cargo security despite complaints that the stricter measures have made daily business more difficult and expensive for shippers and carriers.
"The intelligence we've gotten is the next vehicle for attack is cargo," Browning said in a speech to the annual meeting of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders of America. Browning said that stepped-up security is the only answer to increased threats of terrorist attacks. "We didn't wake up one day and say, 'Let's make the world miserable for brokers, carriers. This is not fun and games. The U.S. is trying to find ways to deal with a real threat."
Browning opposed a suggestion that government agencies were trying to give the public a false sense of security by focusing on cargo, and taking advantage of the situation to get more funding. He said that while an attack using commercial jets wasn't anticipated, it is unlikely that terrorists would employ the same tactics again.
He referred to an event late last year when Italian customs officials intercepted a suspected Egyptian terrorist who was trying to transport himself to Canada in a sea container. He said that makes him worry about cargo security. "I wouldn't be earning my pay if I didn't," he said.
Browning also talked about a recent report by ABC News in which the network smuggled 15 pounds of depleted uranium into the U.S. in a cargo container to demonstrate the vulnerability of the system. Browning said that Customs targeted the container for inspection.
"We didn't find anything because it was depleted uranium. It wasn't a danger," Browning said. He said that the incident did help the agency identify weaknesses in the system.
Approximately 120 NCBFAA members are attending their first governmental affairs conference in two years. Last year's conference was cancelled after the Sept. 11 attacks.
