Week In Review, September 23, 2011

Week In Review

Obama continues to quietly support states in the Middle East that have been no friend to the US. While avoiding ongoing slaughter in Syria he shows open disregard to disdain for Israel, the only true ally that the West has had along the Arab Street.

During the week Obama met with a very little announced (overlooked, underreported, ignored) counter terror task force. This Global Counterterrorism Task Force (GCTF) is to focus on critical civilian needs. It is to be sponsored by the US and run administratively by the US, at what cost I have no idea. I do know that it will operate along with the UN to further the UN’s global counter terror strategy. So far as I knew, one had to have a definition of terrorism and, to date, the UN does not have an agreed upon, set in stone, global definition for “terrorism”. I am so thrilled to see another avenue for more failed policies and way to waste US tax dollars. Seriously, we have all been witness to the unmitigated failure of the UNSC and its “strongest sanctions to date” against states like North Korea, Iran, and Syria.

Who is on this strategic-level platform for policy making? The 30 founding members, benefitting from an Obama Jobs Initiative,  of the GCTF are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. I do not feel comfortable giving these other governments more say in how we conduct our nation’s terrorism defense/offense and policies. I am going to do a profile sheet for each of the members of this panel and publish it in the next few weeks. Another toothless organization with empty promises is going to waste more time, money, and lives to accomplish nothing. My suggestion is to stand strong and respond to a bloody nose with a bloody nose and breaking of the knee.

The USFWS, under the astute direction of Obama appointee Daniel M. Ashe,  has impeded job growth, slowed the economy, restricted freedoms, restricted access to American lands by American people, is being used as a proxy arm of the government to black mail and beat into submission organizations like Gibson that are not supporters of the regime, and is being used, in a manner of speaking, to promote American reliance on terrorist supporters for oil.  Those supporters I am alluding to area primarily OPEC socialistic states who have openly and through their policies towards the West shown disdain to all out hate of the United States.

The TSA reared its ugly head again … no, not Napolitano, just the organization, I had not seen any pictures of her show up this week. TSA screeners and agents reportedly arrested for charges to include lewdness with a child, statutory rape, continued theft of thousands of dollars from passengers, to the benignly intrusive inspection and scalp probing of a black woman’s afro. The score board looks something like; terrorists identified, none … enlarged prostates identified, 1.356. An this only at a cost of some $43 billion dollars this year.

Oil is down to about $85 per barrel, but we continue to pay out the nose for it at the pump and for heating our houses.  The supply is good, but the demand is apparently better. I am going to do my best to boycott oil and gas by running my Prius on Amzoil (American Synthetic Oil, great stuff!!) and deriving the bulk of my house heat from a wood burning stove and extra sweaters.

http://www.eyeontheun.org/facts.asp?1=1&p=61

http://m.state.gov/md173355.htm

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-22/middle-east-oil-falls-for-second-day-as-refining-profits-slump.html

 

More Good News From the TSA

“And, here’s ANOTHER fine mess you’ve gotten us into, Napolli!!” is likely what the bloated government would say to its sidekick.

Another TSA agent has been arrested and accused of rape.

Clifton Lyles, who worked at the Nashville International Airport, was arrested earlier this week in Rutherford County, Tennessee, and charged with statutory rape. His bond was set at $10,000, according to NewsChannel 5 WTVF-TV in Nashville.

Earlier this month, a TSA employee was arrested in Nevada and charged with six counts of lewdness with a child.

In March of 2010, a TSA worker was arrested in Massachusetts and charged with statutory rape, enticement of a child and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, a Boston news station reported.

The agency has weathered a number of criminal accusations since its inception in late 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

In February, the TSA admitted in federal court that a supervisor and two TSA agents were arrested and charged with stealing thousands of dollars in cash from the luggage of travelers. Another employee was arrested and fired for assaulting a co-worker in a dispute over a parking space.

Several days before the TSA admission of guilt, a TSA security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and kickbacks from a colleague who regularly stole money from passengers during security screenings, Reuters reported.

Passenger theft by TSA employees is a nationwide problem, writes Howard Portnoy. According to TSA records, press reports, and court documents, around 500 TSA officers have been fired or suspended for stealing from passenger luggage.

Airports in New York City harbor the most flagrant offenders, according to Portnoy, “but virtually no city in the nation is safe from the TSA’s sticky fingers.”

Violence is also a problem. In August, a former TSA employee was charged with a federal hate crime after he allegedly attacked an 83-year-old Somali man on May 4, 2010.

Another recent headline goes into how a black woman had to let TSA agents run their fingers through her hair. One gent I work with says that this is just part of the cost of living in a free society. This is an outrage! That we, the people, have to pay taxes in order to support an organization that is inept, has not found or foiled one actual threat, has repeatedly been found to not do adequate background checks, employs rapists, power-hungry abusers, pedophiles, molesters, thieves, and has even found some of its employees to be assisting drug couriers is a disgusting and absolute outrage! All this and more for a paltry 2011 proposed budget was $43.6 BILLION dollars. No terrorist acts caught at the gate for a price tag of $43.6 billion dollars just this year and our personal as well as national dignity is all it costs.

But, wait! There’s more! Call now and receive a signed picture of Michael Chertoff and Sam the Eagle titled Separated at Birth.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/32673
http://www.infowars.com/another-tsa-employee-accused-of-rape/

Airport Screening Statistics

I am quite thrilled to be able to report to you, the readers, some successes of the TSA’s security screenings. I was able to glean the following from Moonbattery.com

Moonbattery

2010 Homeland Security Statistics from Airport Screenings

Terrorist Plots Discovered            0

Transvestites                                     133

Hernias                                                1,485

Hemorrhoid Cases                           3,172

Enlarged Prostates                          8,249

Breast Implants                                59,350

Natural Blondes                               3

 

So, the fellow whose legislation started the TSA says that the agency is a failure and needs to be dismantled. John Mica, R-FL, started the TSA with the idea of it having not more than 5,000 personnel, that it would detect and deter crime and terrorism, and that it would be an agile weapon in the arsenal against terrorism. Now, of this behemoth, Mica points out “They’ve failed to actually detect any threat in 10 years”, “It’s an agency that is always one step out of step”, and he also calls the TSA a fiasco. Surely, it is not that bad! Let’s list some of what the TSA has been proven to accomplish;

·        Embarrass Innocent Citizens With Invasive, Genital-Groping Personal Searches

·        Incomplete And Improper Background Investigations

·        Banning Critics From Boards Ostensibly Created to Improve the TSA

·        Nude Scanners Images Leaking Onto The Internet (Algore, no doubt, was miffed at learning how his creation was being bastardized)

·        Intending to get One Step Ahead of Criminals

·        Assisting Drug Couriers

·        Missing Knives and Other Illicit Items in Screened Carry-On Baggage

·        Improperly Tracking Screened and Unscreened Travelers

·        Touching People in Areas and Ways Which Constitute Sexual Molestation/Assault

·        Breaking Colostomy Bags

·        Breaking Prosthetic Limbs

·        Stealing Cash and High Value Electronic Items from Baggage While Screening

·        Aggravated Assault of Other Airport Employees

·        Using their Badge to Intimidate People Off Airport Property

·        Making Children With Polio Walk Through The Scanners
·        Agents Found With Child Pornography
·        Agents Committing Identity Fraud

Alright, so they are NOT what was intended. How many billions of dollars go into this sluggish, nepotistic, thieving, and jackbooted wanna-be agents each year? According to a Homeland Security Newswire article the 2011 proposed budget was $43.6 BILLION dollars. No terrorist acts caught at the gate for a price tag of $43.6 billion dollars just this year and our personal as well as national dignity is all it costs.

But, wait! There’s more! Call now and receive a signed picture of Michael Chertoff and Sam the Eagle titled Separated at Birth.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110913/10465415931/guy-who-created-tsa-says-its-failed-its-time-to-dismantle-it.shtml

http://consumerist.com/2011/09/tsa-agents-accused-of-being-bribed-with-gift-cards-to-help-drug-dealers.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tsa_misses_knife_in_passenger_luggage_DHAqwDkno9JMO1hOdWPG6L?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=46114

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/11124015908/reporter-claims-tsa-agent-would-speed-people-through-security-10.shtml

http://moonbattery.com/?p=2245

Week In Review September 9, 2011

I have written quite a bit this week about Iran and its apparent intentions. Monday I had asked if Iran is planning on being the seat of the caliphate. The answer to that is yes, I believe that Iran is planning to be the seat of the caliphate. It may have been al Qaeda that wrote the 7 Phases, but it is Iran that is carrying them out. Those phases are outlined below.

The First Phase is "the awakening" -- this has already been carried out and was supposed to have lasted from 2000 to 2003, or more precisely from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington to the fall of Baghdad in 2003.In short, to provoke and promote war.
The Second Phase "Opening Eyes" is to make the western conspiracy aware of the "Islamic community." 
The Third Phase This is an "Arising and Standing Up" and should last from 2007 to 2010. "There will be a focus on Syria,"

The Fourth Phase Between 2010 and 2013, Hussein writes that al-Qaida will aim to bring about the collapse of the hated Arabic governments.

The Fifth Phase This will be the point at which an Islamic state, or caliphate, can be declared. The plan is that by this time, between 2013 and 2016, Western influence in the Islamic world will be so reduced and Israel weakened so much, that resistance will not be feared.

The Sixth Phase Hussein believes that from 2016 onwards there will a period of "total confrontation." As soon as the caliphate has been declared the "Islamic army" it will instigate the "fight between the believers and the non-believers" which has so often been predicted by Osama bin Laden.
The Seventh Phase This final stage is described as "definitive victory."

So far, Ahmedinijad is leading the way on this. Chaos is central to Ahmadinejad's religious beliefs and, by extension, his hopes for the future. He believes, as many zealous Shi'ites do, that the Twelfth Imam, or "Mahdi," a messianic figure from the ninth century, will soon reappear to signal the end of the modern world and the onset of Islamic justice over all the earth. Ahmadinejad believes that his presidency will herald the Mahdi.

It has come out that Iran was one of the first to purchase a missile launching system from Russia. This system, known as the Club K, can be hidden inside a cargo container and brought right into the target zone. Until it is activated the system is virtually undetectable. By the time that anyone knows the system is in place it will be far too late to do anything about the first few vollies of rockets launched. To make this even better, the Club K can deploy low level nuclear warheads.

With Syria being part of the aforementioned 7 Step Plan, I have looked more at the country than Obama and Clinton seem to. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to U.S. President Barack Obama: Your words are worthless. How much more succinct can that be? The East sees giving in and changing the way it conducting itself as giving up all their rights.Al-Assad, al-Basher of Sudan, and Ahmedinijad believe that it is their right to kill whoever gets in their way. No amount of apologizing by Obama or tes sipped at a table with Clinton is going to change that. While the UN eventually was tasked to bring a change in Libya, it is not likely here. As a proxy to Iran, al-Assad has said "Not in their wildest dreams – not now and not under different circumstances." an, in fact, continues to slaughter the Sunni population of his own country.

This week we got to read an excellent piece on the nine fronts of war that Israel is facing.  The Arab Spring has turned to an arid and deadly Arab Summer. The spreading chaos and failing of governments across the region would fit into the plan of Ahmedinijad to herald in the mahdi. In order to accomplish this, there must be utter chaos, and chaos is spreading like roaches in a tenement building. Iranian proxies are now surrounding Israel and Saudi Arabia. And Iran is moving ahead with alacrity to attain full nuclear capability.

Part of the recommended, and underdone, initiatives is the Container Security Initiative.; an initiative that would make the use of the Club K far more difficult from inside contiguous waters near large ports. The raid in Pakistan by the SEALs brought back plans that Osama was still planning to attack ports or attack from them. From the information I have seen, this piece of our national armor is another languishing from the neglect of the Appeaser in Chief and his lackeys.

Meanwhile, the TSA continues to steal, rape, and plunder the people and nation it is supposed to be protecting. Even the new Behavioral Assessment plan has had one member caught and arrested for assisting a drug courier.

But not to worry! Seriously, Napolitano has just paid out some $12 million dollars under the Homeland Fiscal Grant Allocations decision. After reviewing them there is not one penny given to detect or to look at suspect shipping containers. She has paid $12 mil into "feel good" programs that, in the end, will amount to squat. The letter written by Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman Powers Global Holdings, Inc. makes that point abundantly clear.

(http://msmignoresit.blogspot.com/2011/07/assessment-of-todays-articles.html).

“But, surely, we can talk reason to them” I hear at the coffee shops. To which I reply, “You can’t talk reason to the insane and don’t call me Shirley.” Peaceful discourse, mutually supportive policies, economic growth, and the realization of certain inalienable rights to all peoples is one way of summarizing US goals and diplomatic efforts. Achieving these goals anywhere has proven difficult. Achieving these goals in the Middle East has proven impossible, at least for the past several decades. Dealing with Iran and Syria has been emblematic of this struggle faced by US policy makers.

We, as a nation, are facing several threats and problems. Many of which can be dealt with in the immediate and short term by opening up jobs in America. Those jobs that would help us most to increase manufacturing and decrease our reliance on the importation of OPEC petroleum (which is now run by a person identified by the US Treasury and the State Department as a criminal whose assets should be frozen, an apparent supporter of terror, and legally banned from doing business with US persons and corporations) are in the US petroleum market. By lifting Theban on US drilling, authorizing the Keystone XL Pipeline, and lowering taxes on businesses there would be an immediate jump in employment and national revenue due to nearly 2million people going to work. This would also serve our nation in the mid and long term as we would quickly get stronger and would be able to exploit the natural gas and oil reserves in a cleaner and safer manner than those in the Middle East. These reserves, mind you, are estimated to represent some 92% of the world’s resources by 2032.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and, please, call your elected officials and insist they support America.

Share this blog with all your friends, family, and opponents!

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2005/08/the_seven_phase.php#ixzz1XaDq7kim

http://msmignoresit.blogspot.com/2011/08/2011-dhs-fiscal-grant-allocations.html

http://msmignoresit.blogspot.com/2011/08/open-letter-to-secretary-napolitano.html

TSA Toppling Safety in America

A TSA Security screener has just been arrested for having over 2,000 pornographic pictures and videos of children. This simply verifies my earlier statements that the screening and selection process for the TSA is as flawed as the organization.

This collection of pornography clearly goes beyond the use of one’s badge to threaten or intimidate a driver who was simply going a little slow. Such as what one officer was arrested for in July of this year in Connecticut.

I cannot even count the number of agents who have been caught stealing items out of the bags of passengers. This was happening at the screening lines and, undoubtedly, it also took place behind the barriers of checked luggage.

Computers, personal electronics, cash by the thousands have been stolenArrests for rape, forcible abduction, hiring people who have served time for sexual crimes to do pat downs are just some of the security measure that have been brought to the American people.

Now we learn that the TSA is going to employ behavioral screening of passengers. What could possibly go wrong? Well, one drug courier who was going out of Buffalo directly benefitted. Trained Behavioral screener, Minetta Walker, had been helping a drug courier to avoid detection. Who else is the TSA helping to avoid detection? How many other threats to safety and law and order are flaunting the system by using the corrupt nature of the TSA to slip by while we, the people, get scolded, harassed, and thrown off of flights for simply asking why we have been selected?

Meanwhile, Napolitano and the Clintonian State Department have issued a nebulous and vague threat warning which begins now and continues through January 2, 2012. What?! Are they saying that the entire run of holiday seasons over which families travel and celebrate are a threat?

I think we all see who the threat to this country is.



See also

American Eagle worker allegedly stole another man's identity to fly around world

By Todd Wright and Janie CampbellNBCMIAMI.com NBCMIAMI.com
updated 6/18/2011 8:07:07 PM ET 2011-06-19T00:07:07
A bond of $1 million was set in court this morning for an American Eagle flight attendant accused of stealing another man's identity to fly around the world.

Jophan Porter, 38, was charged with six counts of identity fraud Friday and is currently in Miami-Dade County jail. He also faces multiple counts of possessing stolen or fraudulent identification and forgery.
Porter assumed the identity of Anthony Frair, who lives in New York and claims not to know the man, authorities claim.

Authorities said Porter is from Guyana and is in the country illegally.

In light of supposed tighter federal screening rules after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the FBI and other agencies are trying to figure out how Porter was able to beat the enhanced screening and be hired as a flight attendant.

American Eagle and American Airlines are owned by the same parent company.

"American Eagle is actively involved in the investigation with law enforcement authorities, including the FBI. Further information on this case should come from law enforcement authorities who are handling the investigation," an American Airlines statement read.

Porter was arrested at Miami International Airport and had several driver's licenses, a passport and a Department of Transportation identification card with the name Anthony Frair on them, an arrest report stated.

Porter had just got back to Miami from a London flight and was scheduled to work a flight to Dallas, sources said.

The real Anthony Frair was trying to apply for food stamps when he discovered the fraud and alerted authorities, the report said.

https://www.actforamerica.org/index.php/learn/recent-news/10-newsmaster/2364-flight-attendant-charged-with-identity-fraud

http://www.prisonplanet.com/epidemic-of-tsa-criminality-more-agents-caught-stealing-cash-from-luggage-another-arrested-for-assault.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/033495_TSA_smuggler.html

http://www.elliott.org/blog/tsa-watch-exploiting-911-for-fun-and-profit/

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/kswb-tsa-to-introduce-behaviorbased-screening-program-20110902,0,1052872.story

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/is-the-tsa-moving-toward-an-israeli-security-model/242735/

2011 DHS Fiscal Grant Allocations Announced

Fiscal 2011 DHS Preparedness Grant Allocations Announced

By: News Staff on August 24, 2011

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the final allocations for 12 preparedness grant programs totaling more than $2.1 billion. In fiscal year 2011, DHS grants were reduced by $780 million for the fiscal 2010 enacted level, nearly one-quarter of fiscal 2010 DHS grant funding.

"In today's tight fiscal environment, we are setting clear priorities and focusing on the areas that face the greatest risk to maximize our limited grant dollars," said Napolitano in a statement. "The FY 2011 homeland security grants are focused on mitigating and responding to the evolving threats we face."

The 9/11 Commission recommended that homeland security funds be allocated "based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities" to focus limited funding in the highest risk areas. The grant awards announced on Wednesday focus on the highest risk cities, while continuing to provide dedicated funding to law enforcement to prepare for, prevent and respond to pre-operational activity and other crimes that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.

The fiscal 2011 grant guidance incorporated feedback from the DHS' state, local, tribal and territorial, and private-sector partners and includes specific steps undertaken by the DHS to improve the ability of state and local partners to apply for and utilize grant funding. From 2002 through 2011, more than $32.1 billion has been awarded in preparedness grants.

Preparedness grant program awards for fiscal year 2011 include:

Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) — more than $1.28 billion total:

• State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) — more than $526 million to support the implementation of state homeland security strategies to build and strengthen preparedness capabilities at all levels. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of SHSP appropriated funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention-oriented planning, organization, training, exercise and equipment activities.
   
• Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) — more than $662 million to enhance regional preparedness capabilities in 31 high-threat, high-density urban areas. In order to focus limited resources to mitigate and respond to evolving threats, the 11 highest risk areas (Tier 1) were eligible for more than $540 million, while the remaining 20 urban areas, designated Tier II were eligible for more than $121 million. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of UASI appropriated funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention-oriented activities.
   
• Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) — more than $54 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among local, tribal, territorial, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to secure the United States land and maritime borders.
   
• Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) — more than $34 million to enhance and sustain comprehensive regional mass casualty incident response and preparedness capabilities, divided evenly among 124 MMRS jurisdictions.
   
• Citizen Corps Program (CCP) — more than $9 million to engage citizens in community preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery activities.

Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) — $10 million for eligible tribes to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) — more than $18 million allocated based on risk, to support target-hardening activities to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the fiscal 2011 UASI-eligible urban areas.

Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPSP) — more than $14 million to enhance catastrophic incident preparedness in selected high-risk, high-consequence urban areas and their surrounding regions in order to support coordination of regional all-hazard planning for catastrophic events.

Emergency Operations Center Grant Program (EOC) — more than $14 million to support the construction or renovation of emergency operations centers to improve state, local or tribal emergency management and preparedness capabilities to ensure continuity of operations during disasters.

Driver's License Security Grant Program (DLSGP) — more than $45 million to improve the reliability and accuracy of personal identification documents that states and territories issue, prevent terrorism and reduce fraud.

Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) — more than $200 million to owners and operators of transit systems to protect critical surface transportation from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.

Freight Rail Security Grant Program (FRSGP) — more than $7 million to freight railroad carriers, owners and operators of railroad cars, and owners of rail bridges to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of the freight rail system.

Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR-Amtrak) Program — more than $22 million to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.

Intercity Bus Security Gant Program (IBSGP) — nearly $5 million to support security measures including plans, facility security upgrades and vehicle and driver protection for fixed-route intercity and charter bus services that serve UASI jurisdictions.

Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) — more than $235 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness and strengthen risk management capabilities in order to protect against improvised explosive devices and other nonconventional weapons.

Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) — more than $329 million has been awarded to assist state and local governments to enhance and sustain all-hazards emergency management capabilities
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Fiscal-2011-DHS-Preparedness-Grant-Allocations.html

An Open Letter to Secretary Napolitano

By: Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman Powers Global Holdings, Inc.

Dear Secretary Napolitano:

First, you must know that I speak for myself, not my firm or any constituency.  Since the attack of 9/11, and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),  I have been thinking about the economic role of the global supply chain as it impacts the United States, and about the role of DHS in addressing the supply chain in light of all the U.S. and international security programs, national laws, global security standards, and the money allocated to DHS for our homeland defense.   My thinking turned to speaking, to writing, and now to questioning directly the degree to which DHS has addressed serious questions of concern.

The following questions are not in any specific order because they difficult to categorize.  However, the last two may be the most serious.

1.  Does DHS believe and support the use of Container Security Devices (CSDs) as being consistent with law, foreign security programs, non-government organizations, and the private sector bottom-line needs?

2. Does DHS believe that container security technology and CSDs serve as revenue producers for the private sector?

3. Why is the official policy on physical security for containers sealed "doors-only?"

4. Other than the incentives claimed by CBP for the private sector's participation in C-TPAT, what U.S. government incentive is used to encourage the use of CSDs?

5. Why is DHS not participating with the EU and other nations who are working together to develop an international standards and protocols for CSDs?

6. What can Congress do, but has not done to encourage CSD usage? 

7. What has DHS done with respect  to informing and encouraging Congress to ratify the Rotterdam Rules recognizing that these new Rules improve supply chain security?

8. Given increased security concerns about Mexico, what CSD pilots or programs have been used or tested in Mexico/U.S. cross-border commercial practices?

9. In which CSD pilots, if any, has DHS participated?

10. Why is DHS not complying with the mandates of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 with respect to CSD for usage HAZMAT movements?

11. If Trade Facilitation is one goal of CBP, why wouldn't CBP/DHS required the use of CSDs knowing that their usage is a financial benefit to the user as well as to the government?

12. Since DHS admits that transshipments are a legitimate security concern, why hasn't DHS mandated CSD usage for all containers inbound to the United States which transit a transshipment port?

13. Why has the "Green Lane" concept not yet been implemented in seaports to encourage CSD usage?

14. Why continue weak programs such as CSI knowing there is no actual verification of container contents?

15. Why is it that DHS/CBP has not yet addressed the current proven vulnerability of using the required 433.5 to 434.5 MHz spectrum in our ports knowing and admitting in writing along with the Office of the Secretary of Defense that the vulnerability truly exists as indicated in this DHS statement: ... these technologies...can be exploited and potentially used to trigger an explosive device.

16. Has DHS funded or directed an empirical study of the impact of closing all U.S. seaports and land ports-of-entry as a result of one or two dirty bomb blasts in the U.S. ports?

The answers to these questions to me are obvious and referenced by outside sources and experts.  CSD usage is clearly in line with national law, international organizations, and sound business practices.  It is a revenue generator documented in reports of Stanford University, A.T. Kearny, Bearing, and even the Congressional Budget Office.   While CBP touts the benefits of using CSDs, it still does not provide "tier three" privileges like Green Lanes at U.S. seaports, actually required by the Safe Port Act of 2006 if a container security device is used.  Additionally, "doors-only" physical security is simply dumb!  There are many ways which have been empirically demonstrated that can bypass locked container doors.   Patting down children before boarding a plane and not securing a container electronically is simply unbelievable and indicative of DHS leadership.

With respect to working with Congress to encourage CSD usage, I know of no suggestion by DHS to Congress of providing tax credits for CSD usage, yet tax credits for home improvements, cars, appliances, solar energy, mine rescue, distilled spirits, etc., etc., are common.  I also question whether DHS has encouraged Congress to ratify the Rotterdam Rules which provide an additional layer of security compared to The Carriage of Goods by Sea Act under which we now operate. 

With respect to cooperating in international pilot programs utilizing container security technology, specifically those within the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) or even with our Mexican partner, DHS was conspicuously absent.  After almost 3 years of work,  the FP7's Smart Container Chain Management Program (SMART-CM) will culminate in its workshop to  deliver: Container Security & Tracking Devices’ technical characteristics and Security Messages’ standardization.   Not only is DHS absent in the international standardization efforts,  it has also paid attention to the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and its requirements to monitor "end-to-end" the movement of "security-sensitive material" including HAZMAT, to detect "radiation detection equipment,"  "breaches," and to detect and monitor the  internal environment of the conveyance carrying these substances.

With respect to CBP programs like CSI, supply chain security experts and retiring CBP personnel who can now speak freely acknowledge these programs do not genuinely verify container cargo contents.  There is also evidence, in light of official testimony by former CBP leadership, that DHS is unaware of any technology to neutralize the transshipment vulnerability.  However, CSDs were, in fact, available at the time of his testimony to neutralize this vulnerability.

For me, one of the most troubling issues, is that DHS admits in writing to the vulnerability created of the federal requirement to use radio frequency identification (RFID) frequency spectrum 433.5 to 434.5 MHz in U.S. ports.   Its use to trigger an explosive device is confirmed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  This was again reported on in August, 2011 by senior investigative reporter and on-line editor of HSToday.US and comments from readers confirm his report.

Imagine the impact of a WMD explosion in one of our ports on our weakened economy, let alone loss of life at the impacted ports?    Vessels carrying imports to the United States could not discharge their cargo.  U.S. exporters could not ship by vessel when vessel cargo accounts for 90% of global shipments.  There would be a serious impact on energy, jobs, pharmaceuticals, food, and more.   It appears to me that given your department's handling of these aforementioned problems and issues, it is only a matter of time for a cataclysmic event of this nature to occur, shutting down all other seaports and land ports-of-entry as 9/11 did to air traffic.

So, Madam Secretary, what is your department doing to address these obvious supply chain  issues?  What is being done to include the U.S. and international private sectors in handling these problems for which private sector solutions already exist?  Why is DHS not involved with developing international standards when the U.S. private sector is represented on the EU Commission's advisory board for the FP7 Programme and involved with CSD international standardization?   I only hope that you are aware of these serious threats and take action  with Congressional support to immediately to address them.  And if you have been aware of these threats, and have done so little to address them realistically, for me, your continued tenure as Secretary should be in jeopardy.   Except perhaps for C-TPAT, a program established before your tenure as Secretary, I believe that your handling of global supply chain vulnerabilities has been reactive at best and perfunctory at worst.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/an-open-letter-to-secretary-napolitano