HOMELAND SECURITY RAISES SCRUTINY FOR CONTAINERS, SHIPS

HOMELAND SECURITY RAISES SCRUTINY FOR CONTAINERS, SHIPS    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said “additional steps” affecting containers and ships are included in raising the national alert level for terrorism to 'orange,' or high risk.
   Specifically, U.S. Customs inspectors “will increase the number of cargo containers … that they identify for screening with non-intrusive inspection equipment,” the Homeland Security department said in a statement.
   The U.S. Coast Guard has increased its patrol operations and monitoring of maritime activity, including vessel inspections when deemed necessary.
   Both Customs and the Coast Guard will become formally part of the Homeland Security department on March 1.
   The U.S. Maritime Administration has urged all ports and vessels to implement protective measures, such as restricting access to essential personnel. MarAd also ordered U.S.-flag vessels operating in the North Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal to file position reports every 24 hours.
   The U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency has warned shipping in all trades that U.S. forces in the Mediterranean are operating in a heightened state of readiness. NIMA requests all vessels approaching U.S. forces to maintain radio contact with American warships via Channel 16.