Admiral Collins States the Obvious: National Security Difficult

Coast Guard Commandant Cites Security Risk
By PAT MILTON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 20,10:21 PM ET

NEW YORK - The Coast Guard says millions of pleasure craft, fishing boats and ferries fall outside its security nets, hampering its ability to safeguard thousands of miles of coastline against terrorist attack.

"How do we include recreational boats — some 58 million in this country — into our security regime without infringing upon the liberty of boaters?" Admiral Thomas Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard, said Tuesday.

Boaters are proud people who "toot around on the water" and don't want the government to tell them where they can go, Collins said following an address at the U.S. Maritime Security Expo, a conference on protecting ports, harbors, ships and cargo against terrorists, thieves and other threats.

"But some of those yachts are big," he said, "and can hold lots of good stuff and bad stuff."

The Coast Guard has identified 50 areas in which the maritime system is vulnerable to a terrorist attack, Collins said. It is working on solutions to blend everyone's needs: to close the gaps and mitigate the risks while not impinging on boaters' rights or interfering with the flow of commerce.

Specific initiatives will be presented to President Bush as part of a National Maritime Security Plan.

Among the Coast Guard's targets are recreational boats, an estimated 110,000 fishing vessels, and ferries that carry tourists and commuters, Collins said.

"How do we screen for explosive devices on a ferry system that moves millions of people, particularly commuters, without constipating the whole system?" Collins asked.

This is the price we pay for our freedom. Just like gun violence, the price of freedom entails some risk. Even in a totalitarian regieme, it is impossible to stop crime and terrorism. That is why we cannot afford to surrender our rights to the Federal Government. Complete security is a myth. Complete safety is a myth. And as an aside, no one is immortal.

Full Story: Coast Guard Difficulties

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