Port of Seattle Executive Pushes for Security Enhancements in Waterborne Trade

From the deck outside his Pier 69 office, Mic Dinsmore can see a dozen towering container cranes unloading ships at the Port of Seattle's bustling terminals.

As the Port of Seattle's chief executive, the sight of so much waterborne commerce is reassurance that the engine of international commerce is functioning at flank speed.

But for Dinsmore, the sight is also disquieting. That's because Dinsmore understands how this largely unfiltered stream of trade between the United States and other countries around the world is a potential pipeline for weapons of mass destruction, for horrific biological agents and for terrorists themselves to enter the United States undetected.

In recent months, Dinsmore, uncomfortable with the pace of security enhancement in waterborne trade, has become increasingly outspoken about the potential for not only terrorist violence, but also for a huge economic disruption worldwide if terrorists use waterborne containers to import their brand of anarchy to these shores.

Most recently, Dinsmore wrote a column for the Washington Post about his concerns. That column was reprinted in media all over the country.

Dinsmore elaborated on his concerns in an interview with The News Tribune.

"I had been talking about it for months. I had made a keynote address before Seattle Rotary 4, which is either the first or second largest Rotary Club in the country. The media picked it up from there.

"This is not a new topic for me. I've been concerned since 9/11.

"I talked with (Homeland Security) Secretary (Tom) Ridge when he was here in Seattle for a meeting. When we were together, he told me he was sleeping better these days knowing that the country is better prepared to defend against a terrorist attack.

"I told him, with all due respect, that I was glad he was sleeping better, but I'm not.

"I think that since 9/11 we've done a whole lot to improve the security conditions at the terminals. And our partners the Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs Service and other agencies have done a tremendous job working with us on security.

"But I think we're not far enough along in working with other countries where the containers are loaded to know just exactly what they contain. We've got a long way to go.

"Here in the home of the free, we could never make this nation absolutely safe, but we haven't yet done what's possible.

"We can work with offshore governments to ensure that the manifests reflect what's in the containers and that the containers are sealed with an electronic seal that is foolproof and that can be tracked through the system.

"We won't be able to inspect every one, but we can pinpoint suspicious ones before they get on the ships overseas and require their inspection there.

"The tracking system can add value not only for the security officials but for the shipping lines and their customers. Already, customers such as Target and Wal-Mart are seeing the value of being able to track their shipments more closely than before.

"The government has spent probably $5 billion to $7 billion on making airports more secure, but I would be amazed if they had spent even $1 billion on port security.

"It would take only one rogue container to bring commerce to its knees.

"Retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart don't have giant warehouses brimming with inventory that can keep the American public supplied if trade is shut down. Even major manufacturers such as General Motors obtain some of their components overseas. Their inventory arrives daily in shipping containers, just in time to replenish stock or enter the manufacturing process.

"What we need is for the federal government -- and the Department of Homeland Security in particular -- to produce a set of standards, practices and protocols giving clear policy guidance and to make intelligent investments to secure our ports. And we need a clear and agreed-upon process that would reopen ports quickly in the event of attack.